Victoria General Hospital - Victoria

Best Times to Visit

About Victoria General Hospital - Victoria

Victoria General Hospital in View Royal, BC serves as the primary regional trauma and acute care centre for Greater Victoria and over 700,000 residents across the Island Health region. Its 24/7 Emergency Department features 35 treatment bays, specialized isolation rooms, and a decontamination area, making it equipped for everything from major trauma to pandemic response. As the only hospital on southern Vancouver Island offering maternity services and the region's designated pediatric specialty hospital, VGH is where the most serious and complex cases across the island are directed.

Services & Specialties

24/7 Emergency Department (35 treatment bays), Level 1 Regional Trauma Centre (helicopter and ground transport intake), Maternity and Labour & Delivery (regional delivery centre), Pediatric specialty care (regional pediatric hospital), Neuroscience program (epilepsy, tumours, MS, Parkinson's disease), Regional Stroke Program and Stroke Rapid Assessment Unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), General surgery, Diagnostic imaging and laboratory services, Neuro-Rehabilitation (30 beds), Geriatric care (40-bed ward), Convalescent and rehabilitation services, Specialty outpatient clinics, Sexual and relationship violence care (all ages and genders, within 7 days of incident), Free Take Home Naloxone (Narcan) kits through the ED, Pandemic isolation and decontamination emergency infrastructure.

Amenities

• Free guest WiFi — connect to 'IslandHealthGuestWiFi' and follow on-screen instructions
• Vending machines available on-site for after-hours food and beverage access
• After-hours main entrance access via intercom (entrance locked 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m.)
• Emergency Department entrance accessible at all hours
• Bicycle lockers on site
• Taxi loading bays on site
• Contact hospital at 250-727-4212 for current cafeteria hours, ATM, pharmacy, and chapel details

Other Care Options

Not every health issue needs an ER visit. Find out where to go for care → · 10 walk-in clinics in Victoria → · urgent care wait times →

Pharmacists in British Columbia can assess and prescribe for dozens of common conditions. See what they can treat →

Compare hospital wait times across Canada. View all wait times →

Tips Before You Go

• VGH is the regional trauma centre — if you are arriving by ambulance with a major injury or stroke, you will likely be brought here directly from across Vancouver Island.
• After 9:00 p.m., the main hospital entrance is locked. Emergency patients should go directly to the Emergency Department entrance, which is accessible at all hours without using the main intercom.
• Bring coins or a credit card for parking — pay stations do not accept debit cards or Visa Debit, and no change is provided. Budget $1.50 per hour for the public short-term lot.
• Free Take Home Naloxone (Narcan) kits are available through the ED for opioid users — no appointment needed.
• If you or someone you know has experienced sexual or relationship violence within the last 7 days, VGH offers free, confidential care for individuals of all ages and genders — you can go directly to the ED.

What to Bring

• Government-issued photo ID (e.g., BC Services Card, driver's licence, passport)
• BC CareCard or provincial health insurance information
• List of current medications, dosages, and allergies
• Any relevant medical records, referral letters, or imaging results
• Provincial health number for any children or dependants you are accompanying
• Coins or a credit card for parking (debit not accepted at pay stations)
• Phone charger or portable battery pack for long waits
• Snacks and water, especially for non-critical visits where waits may be extended

Parking

Victoria General Hospital operates a Pay-By-Plate parking facility that is paid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pay stations are located at lot entrances and accept coins or credit card only — no debit cards or Visa Debit are accepted, and no change is provided. Short-term public parking (Lot 701, operated by Robbins Parking) is priced at $1.50 per hour, with a weekly pass available for $26.75. You can also pay via HONK Mobile (Zone 701) or Pay By Phone (Zone 55701). The lot includes designated areas for public parking, staff, physicians, and emergency patients, along with taxi bays and bicycle lockers. For parking inquiries, contact Island Health Parking Services at 250-727-4050.

Getting There

BC Transit Route 14 (Vic General/Downtown) and Route 22 (Vic General/Hillside Centre) provide direct service to Victoria General Hospital. Additional routes serving the area include Routes 39, 47, 48, 51, 53, 61, and 65. All BC Transit buses are equipped with ramps for wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers. HandyDART door-to-door shared-ride service is available for passengers with physical or cognitive disabilities who cannot use regular fixed-route buses — registration is required in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

About ER Wait Times

Emergency departments use triage. Patients with more serious conditions are seen first, regardless of arrival time.

Wait times are estimates based on British Columbia health data. Actual wait times may vary.

We check our own accuracy. Forecasting two hours ahead, the ERstat estimate was typically off by 33 minutes against what hospitals themselves later posted, compared with 41 minutes for the hospital's own current figure, and was the closer of the two 58% of the time. See the full scorecard, or how we work the number out.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.