Estimated Wait Time
To be seen by a doctor
Due to rapidly changing demands in the Emergency Department and the need to see the sickest patients first, your own wait time may be more or less than the time displayed here.
If you need care, you have options. Dufferin County – Caledon is home to a network of health care services and providers available to you.
If you have a minor health problem, you may want to consider alternatives such as a walk-in clinic, pharmacy or scheduling an appointment with your family doctor. Learn more about your health care options.
Mental Health or Crisis Services
For persons 18 years or older, please call the 24/7 Crisis Support Peel Dufferin at 905-278-9036 or 1-888-811-2222.
For persons under the age of 18 please call Dufferin Child and Family Services at 519-941-1530 for 24/7 support. Visit cmhapeeldufferin.ca for more details.
For more information on the community and mental health care support services, please visit hillsofheadwaterscollaborative.ca
Disclaimer
Headwaters Health Care Centre’s wait times are an estimate for general information only. Please be advised that wait times can change significantly and immediately, without warning, and are therefore not guaranteed. Headwaters is not responsible for any liability arising from the use of the wait time information.
Patients who choose to leave the hospital before being seen by a health care professional do so at their own risk as there is no way for Headwaters to know if it is safe for them to leave without being assessed. Please notify the triage nurse if you choose to leave the hospital without being seen.
To learn more about how patients are prioritized when they arrive, please see our frequently asked questions below.
What is a wait time?
Wait times are an estimate of the time (in hours) from the time you are initially assessed by a nurse until you see a doctor.
The wait clock does not predict your entire length of stay. You may require additional care such as diagnostic imaging, testing, etc.
What do the patient numbers mean?
Treating: Patients who have had an initial assessment completed by a doctor.
Waiting: Patients who have not yet had an initial assessment by a doctor.
How will I be assessed for my turn to be seen?
It’s important to know that critical patients will be seen first whether they arrive on their own or by ambulance.
The emergency department does not work on a first come, first served system.
When you arrive in the emergency department, you will be assessed using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). You will be seen by a doctor based on that assessment. The sickest patients will be seen first.
Who updates the wait times on your website? How often is it refreshed?
The computer system that supports our wait times information is powered by VitalHub®.
VitalHub’s web-based software takes historic and real-time data from our internal reporting systems and turns it into an understandable report, similar to the weather forecast. Just like the weather, it is important to understand that the data posted here represents the most current information about the chance or probability of waiting for a certain time. This automated system refreshes the data in real-time, ensuring the most accurate information available, and is what allows us to provide this information externally.
Why are wait times always changing?
Due to rapidly changing demands in the emergency department and the need to see the sickest patients first, your own wait time may be more or less than the time displayed on this website.
The sickest patients will always be seen first.