The Toronto East General Hospital Emergency department is one of the busiest single site Emergency departments in Ontario. We see an average of 174 patients per day or 1 patient every 8 minutes. Approximately 75% of all hospital patient admissions come through the Emergency department.

With more than 64,000 patients visiting annually the department still maintains a patient friendly atmosphere.

When arriving at the Emergency department please make sure you have your Ontario Health Insurance card ready, or your medical insurance information if you live outside Ontario. Have a list of all medications that you take on a regular basis and any other important information, eg. allergies. Bring a supply of your medications with you, just in case you have a long wait, or you need to be admitted to the hospital.

The first place you will visit will be Triage. In Triage a Registered Nurse, specially qualified to assess the severity of your condition, will see you. Once triaged you will then be asked to register. The registration clerk will ask you some questions and will ask to see your Ontario Health Insurance card. After registration your card will be returned to you and you will be asked to wear an Identification Wrist Band.

Depending upon your condition you may be directed to the waiting room, if this is so, we ask that you not eat or drink before asking the nurse. If your condition worsens while you are waiting, please let the nurse know.  

Please review the  Welcome to the Emergency Department brochure for additional information about what to expect when you visit our Emergency Department.

Waiting in the Emergency department
We will try our best to make sure that your wait is as short as possible but please remember that the order in which you are seen depends upon the severity of your condition. Patients are seen by a doctor in order of need, not time of arrival.

There may also be times when you have to wait in the Emergency department for test results or for a procedure to be completed, X-ray, ultrasound or Cat Scan. Or it may be due to the number of people in the department. We are fully aware of the frustrations you have but ask that you please be patient. We do care and we assure that you will be seen and treated as soon as possible.

Before you leave
Before you leave, be sure that you understand the doctor’s instructions. If you are not sure, ask the doctor or nurse to explain them to you again.

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