Emergency Department Wait Times

Location

Facility

Address

Hours

What should I bring to the emergency department?

Bring the following:

• your PEI Health Card or provincial health card (if visiting from another province);
• an up-to-date list of your medications including how much, how often, and why you are taking each one; and, if you have any medication allergies.
• all pills, inhalers, eye drops, patches, injections, and creams or other medications with you in their original container including any over-the-counter products you use, such as vitamins and herbal products
• a family member or friend for support and assistance, if necessary.

What will happen when I arrive at the emergency department?

A staff member will register you as a patient. 

A triage nurse will then:

• ask you questions about your symptoms
• measure your pulse, blood pressure, temperature and breathing
• take your weight
• ask you about any medications you are taking, including over-the-counter medications and/or supplements
• ask you about any allergies you may have; and
• take a urine and/or blood sample and/or perform an ECG, if required.

Based on this, the nurse will assign you a triage level. 

All Canadian health care facilities use the same standards to determine the seriousness of a person’s illness.

• Most urgent (Level 2): having a potentially life-threatening condition and requiring emergency medical care. For example symptoms of a heart attack or stroke; not conscious; difficulty breathing; severe bleeding.
• Urgent (Level 3): having a health condition that has the potential to become serious. For example head injury; deep cut or foreign object in eyes or ears; chest pain (not related to a known heart problem); signs of serious infection; urgent mental health concerns.
• Less than urgent (Level 4 & 5): having a non-life-threatening condition. For example back, arm, or leg pain; sore throat; ear infection; minor cuts or bumps; medication request.

Depending on your triage level, you may be taken to a treatment room at once or asked to wait in the waiting room.

Will I be seen within the posted wait time?

You may need to wait longer than the estimated wait time as the demand for emergency medical attention can change quickly. 

In an emergency department, people who are the most critical, life-threatening health conditions are cared for first. People who arrive after you may receive medical attention before you. You can not always tell how critical a person’s condition is by looking at them.

While waiting, if you have questions or feel your condition has become worse, let the triage nurse know right away.

What can I expect in the treatment area?

A member of the health care team will do a more thorough assessment of your condition. 

Depending on your condition, the emergency department physician may discuss treatment options and make any follow-up arrangements, prescriptions, or necessary referrals. 

You may also be referred to a consulting physician or a specialist who will decide whether you need to be admitted to hospital.

What if I leave before being treated?

What if the patient does not speak English?