Where should I go?
We all want the best possible care for ourselves and our loved ones but the emergency department may not be the best place to get it. This section offers guidelines on where to get the most appropriate care for what’s ailing you.
You have several options available to you if your symptoms include:
Fever
Sore throat
Cough
Earaches
Muscle/joint pain
Skin lesions
Go to your family doctor
Does your doctor’s office provide back-up coverage after hours? Can they recommend a service to you? Call and find out.
Go to your family health team
A family health team doctor is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If your doctor is a member of a family health team, you'll have access to an on-call doctor who provides urgent, but non-life-threatening care without an appointment after hours and on weekends. Ask your family doctor if he/she is a member of a family health team and how to contact the on-call doctor after hours.
Kingston Family Health Team
797 Princess Street, Kingston
613-531-4264 www.kfhn.ca
Maple Family Health Team
1036 Princess Street, Kingston
613-531-5888 www.maplefht.ca
Queen's Family Health Team
220 Bagot Street and 115 Clarence Street, Kingston
613-533-9303 www.dfmqueens.ca
Call Telehealth Ontario
Not sure what kind of medical attention you need? Telehealth Ontario, the province’s free health information hotline, gives you confidential 24 hours a day, seven days a week access to a registered nurse who will assess your symptoms and help you decide what kind of help you need and where to get it.
Phone: 1-866-797-0000
TTY: 1-866-797-0007
www.health.gov.on.ca
Go to a walk-in clinic
You don’t need an appointment to visit a walk-in clinic. If you need medical care for a non-life-threatening illness or injury, visit your nearest walk-in clinic for same-day care by a qualified physician.
After-hours medical clinics:
Bayridge Plaza West
777 Strand Boulevard, Kingston
613-546-5506
Open 6 to 9:30 p.m., weekdays
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekends and holidays
Kingston Family Health Team After Hours Clinic
2437 Princess Street, Kingston
613-531-4234
Open 5 to 8 p.m., weekdays
North Kingston Community Health Centre
400 Elliott Avenue, Kingston
613-542-2949 or 1-800-465-8550
Open 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays
Amherstview After Hours Clinic
18 Manitou Crescent West, Amherstview
613-634-4411
Sicker
Some injuries or illnesses can’t wait for a scheduled doctor’s appointment. These can include:
Lacerations (deep cuts or wounds that may require stitches)
Sprains, strains or deep bruises
Mild to moderate asthma attacks
Ear infections
Urinary tract infections
Coughs, congestion, sore throat
Diarrhea
Insect bites and rashes, abrasions, fever
Simple fractures
Go to an urgent care centre
When your condition can’t afford to wait, you’ll want to visit an urgent care centre.
Urgent care centres are similar to emergency departments in that staff members are trained in emergency medicine and equipped to perform blood tests, X-rays and other diagnostic tests.
They differ from emergency departments in that they don’t accept ambulances or admit patients.
Hotel Dieu Hospital
166 Brock Street, Kingston
613-544-3310
Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week
Family Medicine Urgent Care Centre
Cataraqui Town Centre, Kingston
613-389-3348
Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday
10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday
noon to 3 p.m., Sunday
Sickest
If you or someone close to you is experiencing life-threatening symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Life-threatening symptoms include:
Severe bleeding
Difficulty breathing
Chest pain or pressure
Broken bones
Partial or total amputation of a limb or digit
Trauma or injury to the head
Sudden dizziness or vision problems
Severe abdominal pain
Go to your hospital emergency department
Once you call 911, you will be taken to an emergency department.
Hospital emergency departments are open around the clock and staffed with physicians and nurses trained and equipped to treat the most serious illnesses and injuries. They accept ambulances and are able to admit patients for additional care.
Emergency departments are busy places. They treat patients in order of urgency, not in order of arrival.
Kingston General Hospital
613-548-2333
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week