Emergency Care

Kingston Health Sciences Centre's (KHSC) Emergency Department (ED) provides specialty medicine designed to treat major illnesses and injuries, such as heavy bleeding; persistent, severe chest pain or pressure; pain not relieved by pain medication; severe difficulty breathing; and sudden confusion. As the trauma centre for southeastern Ontario, we specialize in providing care to the most critical emergency patients in our region.

In most cases, patients arrive by ground or air ambulance and some patients need to be admitted to the hospital for a longer stay. See the What to Expect page for more information about your visit to the ED.

If you are not seriously ill or injured, we ask that you please explore other health-care options. You can read more about these options on the Choose the Right Place for the Right Care page. 

The ED is located at our Kingston General Hospital site and the ramp to the entrance is located at 41 King Street West. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.

Triage

The ED is different from other services because it doesn’t run on a first-come, first-served basis. When you first arrive you will be assessed and triaged. The word "triage" means "to sort." Triage is a process in which a nurse will assess and prioritize you according to the urgency of your condition. 

Doctors see the sickest patients first – not by order of arrival. There are often many sick people being treated, so we ask you to please remain patient while waiting to see the doctor. If you begin to feel worse or decide to leave, please notify the triage nurse immediately.

The video below may make your wait in the ED easier.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

The Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (SADV) program is available to you at the Urgent Care Centre and the ED. If you have been assaulted sometime in the last seven days, please tell the triage nurse who will help you meet with the SADV team. We also provide services to any child who has been the victim of assault. For more information please see the sexual assault and domestic violence page.