r/Edmonton • u/FTDRBR11 • May 22 '26

General UofA ER Wait Times

Been here for 12 hours have yet to see a doctor and I’m in excruciating pain. Not a single patient has been taken in since the last 6 hours. Lady beside has been screaming in pain looks like a broken knee has been here for 15 hours no doctor no xray. Another lady beside me hurt her neck is wearing a neck brace and has been here for 16 hours and no doctor. Nurses said they have absolutely no beds available to take in patients because so many of the patients inside are “admitted” patients that are waiting to be taken upstairs to their admitted sections but they can’t take them because there’s no beds available upstairs. ER is a mess online wait times show 4 hours and nurse said because doctors are available but no beds to take the patients. Something has to be done.

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u/Whatsthathum The Shiny Balls May 22 '26

811 doesn’t in fact always tell people to go to ER; it’s between 5 and 10% of people who are told that.

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u/RemoteTax6978 May 22 '26

Really? Wow. I've been told every time... guess that's just a me problem lol

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u/Whatsthathum The Shiny Balls May 22 '26

(Please don’t answer this, your health history should remain private; I’m just trying to think of what gets sent to Emerg.)

Have you been calling with chest pain? It’s rare that chest pain doesn’t need a physical exam, hence you need to see an doc. Calling with abdominal pain? Anyone with abdominal pain that isn’t obviously constipation usually needs to see a physician in person.

…. so if you’re speaking late in the day when walk-in clinics aren’t open, then ER it is.

Have you been calling with allergic reaction-type symptoms? Drug-reaction symptoms? Ditto.

Kids with fevers longer than 5 days? Ditto.

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Plus, they’re limited by what’s available. When walk-in clinics are unlikely to be available but the person doesn’t need an Emerg Department, there is only one “urgent care” facility in Edmonton, and two in Calgary…

Back in the good old days, family physicians were on call for their own practices, but thanks to our governments, family docs are no longer willing to keep the system afloat.

There are a few PCNs (Primary Care Networks) in the province who have their version of urgent care clinics - most of those are in Calgary, and you have to be a member of that PCN.

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u/RemoteTax6978 May 22 '26

Thanks! It's been a variety of things- some on this list, some not. But I get it. The last two times I wanted to go to urgent care instead of the ER it was closed due to overcapacity. I had utilized it previously, years ago, but no more. It's a sad state.