Very very slow at children's emergency. They should really reprogramm the system. They should put a digital board instead calling by names. So many confusion hearing different names. I'm disappointed 😞. Emergency means priority. Halifax is populated now. Hurry up to reprogram your ideas please.

Came to check my daughter ear, she was complaining night before, spent more than 4 hours waiting to be checked. All patients came before and after us gone, but we weren't called to be checked. Asked staff when to expect to be called for check and got answer that my daughter behind everyone else after sitting 4 hours waiting! All patients came after us gone and we were waiting and waiting and waiting. Finally decided to leave cause my daughter felt sick and tired after so much time waiting. Not happy with being moved towards end all the time. I have no family doctor and have no other palce to go to be checked, caused almost all walking clinic were closed during pandemia.

Long waiting. I was here with sever back pain. They didn't call me in 4 hours. 😞

They should mordernize their system by sending message or call to the parents 15 mins before the spot. Waited for whole day with my 5 year kid, missed lunch and dinner and when asked to go grab something, nurse said we would loose our spot and I keep on giving the snacks though the problem is severe tummy ache and snacks will elevate the issue. They don’t care about the kids and continuing their laid back system and troubling people. There is no vending machine or coffee machine either.

i would give 0 stars if i could to this place, the only reason for the one star is for the crackers that they sometimes hand out which are pretty good. otherwise, this place is an absolute MESS. i am suffering from what i believe is a severe concussion and the staff here refuse to take it seriously. the first time i hit my head in november and i came here, i was shooed out almost immediately because my "vitals were fine". i hit my head last night and how hard i hit it (along with the first time) makes me suspect i might have done irreversible damage to myself and just like the last time, im being refused help. it's been 7 hours and im still waiting with my partner to be seen when people who have gotten here way after me are being seen like no problem. the waiting room is a chaotic place that parents are treating like a playplace and letting their screaming toddlers run around and make noise while they're on their phones. im autistic as well and feel that's apart of the reason im being treated less seriously because staff probably has an assumption about me which has happened multiple times when trying to seek medical help. staff is either rude or basically non-existent when it comes to help and they let people just do whatever they want even though this is a PUBLIC PLACE. a group of girls ordered pizza, wings and more food here and staff DID NOT SAY A THING even though they were eating and dancing around as if this place is a fun hangout spot. this is not a restaurant! this is literally an emergency room. i've been told im "the next one in line" for almost 3 hours and still nothing. the lady at the desk (brunette, glasses and ponytail) was extremely dismissive to my sensory problems and was forcing me to do things (such as a blood pressure test while a child was screaming bloody murder in the next room, which caused me to start having a meltdown) without being patient even though i was quite literally sobbing and shaking in front of her. unless you're actively dying and bleeding out, i don't recommend this place at all. im even writing this as im waiting so that should tell you everything. so disappointed once again with lack of service, care or any support

I would rather to rate it as “0” . Now I am at IWK emergency department. Come to check my son’s ear, he was complaining night before, spent more than 4 hours waiting to be checked. All patients came before and after us gone, but we weren't called to be checked. Asked staff when to expect to be called for check and got answer “ it is better you leave here”! All patients came after us gone and we were waiting and waiting and waiting. I have no family doctor and have no other palce to go to be checked. What is the mechanism of waiting list? Can it be transparent for us? Always cliché from the staff of the hospital. Why the nurse suggested me to leave IWK emergency department after 4 hours’ waiting? Why they did suggest this at the beginning?

Always kind, compassionate staff who help us in any way they can.

Took my partner here after they endured a severe head injury. We suspected a severe concussion and were worried there may be a more prominent internal injury, so as advised by the 811 health line, we went here to get it assessed. We arrived around 5pm and after an hour or so of waiting were called to be assessed by the triage nurse. This (in our experience) is typical of the IWK and the triage nurse was kind and patient with my partner. However our experience after the triage went sharply downhill. We waited in the waiting room for over eight hours, with almost no attention paid to my partner's worsening condition. A new triage nurse took over, whom I approached several times over the course of the night to express concern for my partner. I was told at least three separate times that we were the next in like to be seen, or that there were "only one or two" people ahead of us, only to watch several other patients be admitted while we waited. When my partner asked for a Tylenol to help with their throbbing headache, the triage nurse insisted on re-assessing them and was incredibly impatient. There was a screaming baby next to us causing my partner horrible sensory overload, which the nurse did not care to accommodate and instead pressured them into answering a barrage of questions when they were obviously shut down. It was only at about 12:30am when we were desperate to see a doctor that we were informed that there was only one physician on duty, and it would stay that way until 7am. At 2am I was told that even once taken to an examination room, we could expect to wait another four hours to see the physician. We gave up and left the emergency department after that, gaining nothing but nine hours in a waiting room and not a single answer about my partner's injury other than "it's probably not fatal". We have had bad experiences here before, but nothing quite as appalling as our experience today. Unless your child is bleeding out or on the verge of death, expect to wait hours and not be taken seriously by anyone there.

Dont bother coming in unless your certain your child is dealthy ill. That is what was essentially told to me last night when i brought my 6 month old in for Strep and scarlet fever. I was talked down to, made to feel humiliated and honesly the doctor treated me like I was stupid. My infant has been extremely ill for the past 6 days and I was concerned for him. But I know that I will never return this ER ever again.

My daughter has autism and she is none verbal so she can't be vocal about her pain like other kids we were there for hours last night, she had extrem abdominale pain every single kid went ahead of her. The least thay could have been done while waiting for a doctor is to get an ultrasound done on her abdomen .when i went to inquire whats happening the triage nurse who started after 7 pm (didnt have her name but she is shorter , brown hair and In the heavier side was so rude and unconsidered). We end up leaving cus she could not be there longer THEY TREAT KIDS WITH DISABILITY SPECIALLY COGNITIVE DISABILTY DIFFERENTLY AS IF THEY ARE LESS WORTHY IT IS DISCUSSTING.

My 3.5 YO son had a bad fight with a barstool and lost. He ended up with probably an 1 1/2” x 1/2” gash above his brow. Our first time ever dealing with this serious of an injury. He was so scared to have any doctors or nurses look at it, had to be convinced to go inside & was very shy and nervous on my lap. But the staff were so incredible by the time we were waiting to go into the room (which was directly after triage and only for 5 minutes!) he was doing a little jig with a popcicle and a pack with a colouring book and stickers! The child life specialist with all the toys and a tablet really helped him enjoy the experience when it could’ve been so traumatic. It gave us as the parents such relief. We were there all of maybe 3/4 hours as it wasn’t that busy and we were made top priority. I had snacks and everything but they were not needed!! I am so impressed! The only negative he talks about (besides actually getting hurt) is the medicine (to make him woozy for / forget stitches) came out his nose and he didn’t like that. 🙌 beyond thankful & impressed with every staff member we encountered. Grateful to have access to the IWK!!

Such an amazing experience at IWK. Caring staff from both the medical and mental health team. Specifically, Sonya the RN went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable.

Don’t go here if ur having a mental health crisis, I went here because I felt extremely suicidal and didn’t trust myself being alone and they still sent me home at the end of the day Instead of sending me to psych and gave me the most obvious advice on how I should try to think more positive

So far the worst emergency doctors ever...my child had an ear infection and was on antibiotics..we went To the emergency as she wasn't getting any better the first time the resident said her ear looks fine and he didn't change the to antibiotics though her temperature wasn't dropping nor the earpain I suggested to change the antibiotic he said no as I know from my experience that the medication should start working in 2 days...couple days later my child still in pain with fever..we went there again... the doctor did a throat swab and blood work ..they all came back negative..and they didn't give her a different antibiotic ...when our family doctor checked her after a week he said her ear is still infected and he changed the antibiotic...within less then a day my child Start feeling much better her fever dropped and her pain was less...I wouldn't trust the emergency doctors anymore...it seems we have the worst I our system..what a shame!!

The nurses are great, my problem is with the lack of access to the building from the parkade. There is often no parking left near the emergency, so your only option is the parkade and then it used to be you walked from the parkade to the children's emergency area, but now the main door is locked and the children's building is locked at night. So I had to go to the women's building, where the security acted like I was a major inconvenience to them because I needed to get my son to the emergency, and I didn't want to walk alone in the dark while it's -20. Figure something out, please!!

My granddaughter, from Jasper, was visiting on her own and had a medical emergency. We went to the IWK Emergency, and received the very best service possible. We went in and she was triaged immediately and cared for over the next 3 1/2 hours. Thank you IWK for being there for my family. I can't express my gratitude enough. Everyone was so professional and caring.

Been here about 4.5 hours now, my daughter severely cut her pinky finger. So while she waits for stitches, I've counted 11 people who have come in, not injured or bleeding, mostly coughs and one sprained wrist, been seen, treated and have left. While my daughter sits here in legitimate pain. They wrapped it up after we arrived, then nothing. Meanwhile there are "parents" here who have no clue how to settle their child, as they run around the place and walk on the chairs, leaving dusty footprints for newcomers to sit in... No attempt by the "parent" to restrain or clean up after their child and absolutely no intervention by any staff who can clearly see this happening... I could go on. But I'll never, ever bring my kid to this emergency room ever again, unless it's life or death. I'll drive to Cobequid or Dartmouth before I'll come back.

Even though they were very busy we didn't have to wait long the nurses were very nice

Extremely helpful staff, but over capacity!

When my daughter was admitted to the hospital in 2020, the team was amazing! They were super attentive, sympathetic and provided her urgent care and admitted her for surgery immediately. Can you say fantastic expert medical service and customer care! That’s the IWK! Very grateful

Emergency room is a joke, it should be just called a waiting room. Triage nurse unprofessional/not friendly. Like talking to a cardboard box. The doctor and nurses were sitting around for over 2 hours. Only 4 patients in the waiting room i think they try to see who will go home first