Such as: a cold, flu, earache, sore throat, migraine, low-grade fever, mild-rash
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.
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
Hours: 12:00pm – 7:00pm, 7 days a week
Closed every December 25 and January 1
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.
