the Scarborough Hospital - General Campus

Best Times to Visit

Quieter times: No historical wait time data is currently available for this location. Generally, mid-morning on weekdays (Tuesday through Thursday) tends to be less busy at most Canadian hospital ERs. If your condition is not life-threatening, calling Health811 (Ontario's nurse advice line) before visiting can help you determine whether an ER visit is necessary.

Busier times: No historical data is available to confirm specific peak times at this location. As a general pattern, Canadian ERs tend to be busiest on Monday mornings, Friday evenings, and weekend afternoons, as well as during cold and flu season. Evenings after 5 p.m. on weekdays often see higher volumes as walk-in clinics close.

About the Scarborough Hospital - General Campus

The Scarborough Health Network General Site at 3050 Lawrence Ave E is Scarborough's oldest and largest hospital, housing the Deepa & Narinder Lal Emergency Department and serving a catchment area of over 832,000 residents across Scarborough and surrounding communities. As a major academic teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, it offers full-service emergency and critical care within a CA$72 million Emergency and Critical Care Centre opened in 2009. The ER is well-suited for adults and children requiring urgent care across a broad range of conditions, including cardiac emergencies, stroke, mental health crises, trauma, and obstetric emergencies.

Services & Specialties

24/7 Emergency Department (Deepa & Narinder Lal Emergency Department), Adult mental health emergency services, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Program, Cardiac care (designated cardiac centre for Central East Ontario), Stroke care, Paediatric emergency services, Maternal and newborn services, Surgical services and advanced surgical suites, Cancer care, Diabetes care, Orthopaedics and spine care (designated spine centre), Nephrology (Ontario's largest nephrology program), Cardiovascular rehabilitation (North America's largest regional community-based program), Diagnostic imaging (Northpine Diagnostic Imaging Department), Mental Health and Addiction Program, Seniors care, Chronic disease management, Eye Centre (glaucoma and cataract surgery), Family and community medicine.

Amenities

• Pharmacy located on the ground floor, North Wing, across from the Breathing Centre
• Spiritual and Religious Care Department with culturally diverse licensed practitioners
• Parking garage with pay stations on main floor and covered kiosk
• Wheelchair-accessible building including main entrance and barrier-free washrooms
• Security escorts to vehicle available upon request
• Closed-circuit cameras in all public areas

Other Care Options

Not every health issue needs an ER visit. Find out where to go for care → · 7 walk-in clinics in Scarborough →

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

• Short-term meter parking is available directly outside the Emergency Department — use this for drop-offs or brief stays, and move to the main visitor lot for longer visits.
• If you or a family member requires language support, SHN serves one of the most ethnically diverse communities in Canada and has resources to support patients whose first language is not English — ask the triage team about interpreter services.
• For mental health crises, SHN operates Ontario's second-largest community-based Mental Health and Addiction Program — let triage staff know the nature of your visit so you can be directed appropriately.
• If you are arriving by TTC, Routes 54 (Lawrence East) and 16 (McCowan) both stop directly at the hospital — service runs until 1 a.m. daily.
• For frequent visitors or patients with ongoing treatment, ask the parking office about the HPASS discounted multi-day parking card to save on parking costs.

What to Bring

• Provincial health card (Ontario OHIP card)
• Government-issued photo ID
• List of current medications, dosages, and any known allergies
• Any relevant medical records, recent test results, or referral letters
• Personal comfort items such as a phone charger, water bottle, and snacks for potential wait times
• Insurance or benefit information if applicable
• Contact information for your family doctor or specialist
• A support person or emergency contact name and phone number

Parking

A visitor parking lot is located on the north side of the hospital, with short-term meter parking available directly outside the Emergency Department for emergency arrivals only. Pay stations are on the main floor and in the covered kiosk in the visitor lot. The parking office is on the ground level of the parking garage (open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and accepts credit and cash. A discounted HPASS multi-day card is available for 5, 10, or 30 days, offering in-and-out privileges within a 24-hour period. Designated accessible parking is available throughout the site. For inquiries, call the Parking Office at 416-438-2911 ext. 88206.

Getting There

TTC Route 54 (Lawrence East) stops directly at the hospital at Lawrence Ave E at McCowan Rd, running every day with 10-minute or better frequency from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Saturday. TTC Route 16 (McCowan) also provides regular all-day, every-day service to the hospital until 1 a.m. The campus is easily accessible by public transit.

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.

This hospital does not publish a live wait, so the figure above comes from our model rather than from its own feed. We publish how that model performs where it can be checked, at the hospitals that do publish. See the accuracy scorecard, or how we work the number out.

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