Emergency services are available 24 hours a day in regional and community hospitals across the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). We also offer 24-hour emergency services, which may be on an on-call basis, in remote hospitals and some community health centres.
If you feel that you need urgent medical attention, do not hesitate to come to the Emergency Department or call 911.
How long will I wait?
We use a triage system that gives priority based on the emergency and urgent care you require.
This can result in delays if you do not need urgent care.
Triage nurses will try to give you an estimated time, but even wait times can change at a moment’s notice.
Avoid Unnecessary Visits
While emergencies are unavoidable, here are a few simple things you can do to avoid unnecessary visits to the hospital:
- For non-urgent care, contact your family doctor.
- Call Healthlink BC at 8-1-1 for confidential health information and nonemergency services.
- Familiarize yourself with the locations and hours of walk-in clinics. Search online for a walk-in clinic.
- Make sure your prescriptions are up to date.
- Make sure you have basic pharmaceuticals on hand to control children’s fever and pain.
- Get a flu shot and wash your hands often to avoid spreading and contracting viruses and bacteria.
- Take basic safety precautions: Buckle up, don’t drink and drive, don’t leave open flames unattended, and keep alcohol and potential poisonous substances out of reach from children.