Estimated Island Health Emergency Department Wait Times Available Online

Island Health now has a new webpage in place featuring estimated emergency department wait times and detailed patient resources.

“When someone needs emergency care, unknown factors like where to go for care or ED wait times can be frustrating,” said Leah Hollins, Island Health Board Chair.

“This webpage is an excellent tool and giving people more information about current conditions and care options will benefit both patients and care providers.”

The page is now live and you can find it at islandhealth.ca/findcare.  It includes estimated wait times to see a physician in the emergency department at Island Health’s eight major hospitals, including in Campbell River and Courtenay.

Also, people who may not need immediate emergency care will also be able to explore the range of resources available to them, including information about Urgent and Primary Care Centres and community-based resources.

Estimated wait times are calculated using data from emergency department encounters that started at a given time of day (by one-hour increments) on that day of the week over the past eight weeks at the same site.

It is anticipated 9 out of 10 patients will be seen within the estimated wait time and most people should be seen sooner.

As is always the case in Island Health emergency departments, people are seen based on how serious their condition is and people with life-threatening injuries or conditions will not have to wait.

Island Health says it is also taking action to improve people’s experience in emergency departments, including by investing in community-based services – home care, long-term care, and primary care – to reduce the burden on emergency departments.

In 2024, Island Health transitioned to a full Urgent and Primary Care Clinic in Comox Valley and added a new primary care access clinic in Campbell River.

It is also hiring more doctors and nurses, adding more than 800 new nurses last year.

It should be noted that wait times are based on historical data and can change at any time based on current conditions in any department, so there is the potential for rapidly changing conditions and fluctuating wait times based on patient needs and demand at a given site in the weeks immediately following the initial launch.

For more information, visit Island Health.