Such as: a cold, flu, earache, sore throat, migraine, low-grade fever, mild-rash
NOTICE: The Urgent Care Centre on Main St. West will be closed on December 25 and January 1.
Call your family doctor. Many doctor’s offices offer weekend and evening clinics. Most leave same-day booking space for these types of minor illnesses. Some family doctors also offer virtual visits.
If you are experiencing flu, cold or COVID symptoms listed below and feel you need care, your first contact should be your family doctor if you have one. You can also book an appointment to see a doctor at the Flu, COVID & Cold Clinic, or for children 17 and under, visit the walk-in clinic at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Consider going to the clinic if:
- Your symptoms are not improving after a few days, despite using common over-the-counter medications as indicated on the label, such as ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), nasal rinses and cold/flu medications
- You are particularly worried about any of your symptoms
Remember: cold and flu symptoms may last 1-2 weeks and can fluctuate during that time.
If you don’t have a family doctor, an urgent care centre might be the most appropriate and quickest option for you.
Hamilton has two urgent care centres which are open 365 days a year. They are:
Main Street West Urgent Care (Hamilton Health Sciences)
690 Main Street West Hamilton, ON
Reopens March 24 with modified hours of 12:00pm – 7:00pm, 7 days a week
Urgent Care – King Campus (St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton)
2757 King Street East Hamilton, ON
Hours: 8:00am-10:00pm, 7 days a week
Three things you might not know about urgent care centres:
- You’ll see an emergency department-trained doctor.
- You’ll probably wait for less time than in an ER (based on average wait times).
- Your care team has access to services like X-ray, ultrasound (for certain conditions), and laboratory services (located off-site).
Urgent Care Ontario, a virtual urgent care service, is also available for adults with urgent, non-life threatening, medical issues.
