Two ways to be seen here: walk in when something comes up, or ask about registering with a family doctor who follows your health over the years.
How a visit works
Come in or book
Walk in during opening hours with no appointment, or book a time and the front desk will confirm it by phone or text.
Check in at the desk
Hand over your health card. For a walk-in you are added to the list and seen in order of arrival.
See the doctor
Bring your questions. It helps to say what you are most worried about first, so the visit covers it properly.
Before you leave
A prescription, a requisition for bloodwork, a referral, or a follow-up booked at the desk.
What to bring
- Your Ontario health card. If you do not have one, come anyway and ask about the visit fee.
- A list of the medications you take, or the bottles themselves.
- The name of any specialist you see, and recent test results if you have them.
- For a child, the yellow immunization card.
- Anything you have already tried for the problem, and how long it has been going on.
Registering as a patient
Having a family doctor means one person who knows your history, keeps track of your bloodwork and prescriptions, and handles the referrals. Call the clinic and ask whether it is currently accepting new patients — the front desk will explain what registering involves.
What OHIP covers
Appointments and walk-in visits for a medical problem are covered by OHIP, along with most tests the doctor orders. Bring your card to every visit.
Not covered: sick notes and employer or school forms, travel vaccines and travel advice, some screening done at your own request, and visits for anyone without a valid Ontario health card. Ask about the fee before the visit.
When to go to an emergency department instead
Call 911 or go to a hospital for chest pain, trouble breathing, a serious injury, heavy bleeding, sudden weakness or trouble speaking, a seizure, or any sudden severe symptom. A walk-in clinic is not the right place for those.
Asked at the front desk
I forgot my health card. Can I still be seen?
Yes. Give the desk your health number, or show a photo of the card on your phone. If that isn’t enough, ask the desk about the fee for an uninsured visit, and whether it can be refunded once you bring in a card that was valid that day.
Can the doctor see all my children in one trip?
Usually, yes. Check each child in with their own health card and tell the desk they came together. For a newborn whose card hasn’t arrived, bring the infant registration form from the hospital or your midwife; the health number on it works until the card comes.
How do I get my test results?
Results are gone through at a visit, so you can ask questions and plan what happens next: book the follow-up before you leave, and leave the desk a phone number that reaches you. Don’t take silence as good news — call and ask.
Can a family member come into the exam room with me?
Tell the desk when you check in that you would like someone with you. For an intimate examination, the doctor must offer you the option of having a third person present — that one is a College of Physicians and Surgeons rule, not a clinic policy.
Still have a question? Call the front desk.
