Hamilton General Hospital

Best Times to Visit

About Hamilton General Hospital

Hamilton General Hospital's Emergency Department, located at 237 Barton Street East in Hamilton, Ontario, is a Level 1 Trauma Centre and one of Canada's most specialized acute care facilities, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no registration required for walk-in patients. As part of Hamilton Health Sciences, the ER serves a vast regional catchment area stretching from Burlington to Brantford and Niagara Falls to Guelph, with on-site capabilities in cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, stroke, and severe burn treatment. Patients with life-threatening emergencies, complex trauma, major cardiac events, or serious neurological conditions are particularly well served here given its tertiary care designation and deep specialist resources.

Services & Specialties

Level 1 Trauma Centre (adult), 24/7 Emergency Department, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Coronary Care Unit (CCU), Cardiac Arrhythmia Unit, Cardiac Surgical Unit, Cardiac and Vascular ICU, Heart Function Clinic, Heart Investigation Unit, Acute Stroke Unit (Centre of Distinction), Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation, Neurosurgery (over 1,700 procedures annually), Neurosurgery Inpatient Unit, Regional Burn Centre (south central and central west Ontario), Burn Trauma Unit, Hyperbaric Medicine Program, Intensive Care Units, Diagnostic Imaging, Endoscopy, General Surgery, Movement Disorders Clinic, Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program, Regional Rehabilitation Centre (91 inpatient beds), Rooftop Helipad for air transport.

Amenities

• Hamilton General Drugstore (public pharmacy) — offers prescriptions, common ailment treatment, free flu vaccines, and a Smoking Cessation Program
• David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute on campus
• Rooftop helipad (TC LID: CPK3) for air ambulance arrivals
• EV charging stations in Victoria Street Garage (Level E)
• Walk Safe security escort program to accompany patients and visitors to their vehicles (call 905-521-2100)
• Accessible parking in Victoria Ave. N. garage and Wellington St. lot

Other Care Options

Not every health issue needs an ER visit. Find out where to go for care → · 16 walk-in clinics in Hamilton →

Pharmacists in Ontario 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

• Hamilton General is a high-acuity Level 1 Trauma Centre — if your condition is serious (chest pain, stroke symptoms, major injury, severe burns), this is the right place to come in the Hamilton region.
• Walk-in patients do not need to pre-register; simply arrive at the Emergency Department at 237 Barton Street East and you will be triaged by clinical priority.
• If you arrive by car, head to the Victoria Street parking garage (enter off Victoria Ave. N.) or the Wellington Street lot (enter off Wellington St. N. or Barton St. E.) — both are close to the ER entrance.
• Take HSR Route 2 – Barton to the Victoria at Barton stop for direct access to the hospital without needing to find parking.
• The on-site Hamilton General Drugstore is open to the public and can handle minor ailments and prescriptions, which may be a faster option than the ER for non-urgent conditions.
• If you need to walk to your vehicle after dark or feel unsafe, request a Walk Safe security escort by calling 905-521-2100 — this service is available through HHS Security Services.

What to Bring

• Government-issued photo ID (e.g., Ontario driver's licence or passport)
• Ontario Health Card (OHIP card)
• List of all current medications, including dosages
• List of known allergies (medications, foods, environmental)
• Any relevant medical records, recent test results, or referral letters
• Emergency contact name and phone number
• Method of payment for parking (pay stations accept card and cash)
• Comfortable clothing and any personal comfort items, as wait times may be lengthy

Parking

Two parking options are available on site. The Victoria Street parking garage is accessed off Victoria Ave. N. behind the hospital, and the Wellington Street lot has entrances off Wellington St. N. or Barton St. E. Rates are $4.25 per 30 minutes or less, with a daily maximum of $23.00. A 5-Day Pass is available for $57.50, valid for 5 days within one year of purchase. Accessible parking is located on Levels B and F of the Victoria Ave. N. garage and in the Wellington St. lot near the Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre. EV charging stations are available on Level E of the Victoria Street Garage. Pay stations are located in the Victoria parking garage, the main lobby of the Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre, and the parking office. Parking is operated by the Hamilton Health Sciences Volunteer Association, with all profits donated to patient care.

Getting There

Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) Route 2 – Barton stops directly at Barton at Victoria, steps from the hospital entrance. Routes 02, 12, and 04 all serve nearby stops. GO Transit connections are available at Hamilton GO Centre, which links to the Lakeshore West GO Train line. Accessible door-to-door paratransit service is available for registered passengers who are unable to use regular HSR buses due to physical or functional limitations.

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 Ontario 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.