The Ottawa Hospital General Campus Emergency Room image

The Ottawa Hospital General Campus Emergency Room

Emergency room Hospital department

😠 10 hours for emergency. I thought people are exaggerating, surely emergency medical care cannot be defered for 10hours! How is this possible in Canada! There's not enough doctors nor other healthcare professionals nor emergency beds to meet this growing population! I wannna know do the corrupt peopl... People often mention pain, doctor, hours, emergency, wait, time, care, waiting, people, staff,


Address

501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada

Website

www.ottawahospital.on.ca

Contact

+1 613-722-7000

Rating on Google Maps

2.40 (72 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours
  • Monday: Open 24 hours

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: pain (22) doctor (22) hours (20) emergency (20) wait (20) time (16) care (14) waiting (13) people (12) staff (11)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 1/5 Princess P. 1 year ago on Google • 82 reviews
    10 hours for emergency. I thought people are exaggerating, surely emergency medical care cannot be defered for 10hours! How is this possible in Canada! There's not enough doctors nor other healthcare professionals nor emergency beds to meet this growing population! I wannna know do the corrupt people who runs the country ever visit emergency or just have 24hpur personal physician on call! Shame shame shame!!
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Asif A. A. 2 years ago on Google • 120 reviews
    Got me registered quickly. Nurse did the necessary check ups. COVID restrictions strictly followed. A little wait time, but not too bad.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 mahzad 2 years ago on Google
    I went there because of sever back pain and I couldn't move or sit. at first the nurse gave me 3 tablets of Tylenol and asked me to wait. I couldn't sit and I had to stand for 6 hours to visit the doctor. It was awful. Finally, they didn't do diagnostic imaging and Dr. just gave me some medications for pain relief. Now I saw that they have claimed more than $1000 for this service to my insurance. The meaning of "EMERGENCY" is totally different here.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Robert K. 9 months ago on Google
    Been waiting here now since 6 pm, it’s now 3:32am. These wait times make no sense at all. Not one nurse has asked if she needed anything for pain neither.Please government fix our health care system. Cause it’s broken bad, here are the wait times for our night here. 4:37 am still waiting.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Leo S. 6 years ago on Google
    It's not emergency department AT ALL!!!! My wife had a severe pain in her Lower abdomen and vomiting, with 2 kids ( because we don't have anyone in Ottawa to take care of our kids) we waited for 6 hours without any help just check points here and there , and hanging around from waiting room to another uselessly. At 12 midnight, and with out seeing the doctor she decided to go and die at home instead of waiting and hearing different kinds of rudeness from the nurse.... Overall, this place is awful!! Don't waste your time waiting forever!
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 N K. 1 year ago on Google
    Has been here since 9:00 pm last night and it is 6:40 am now!!!!! Have been inside to be seen by a doctor since 4: 0p am, but no luck... Ottawa has had only 3 hospitals and it doesn't seem the government cares that the population has doubled. People are sick and frustrated, staff is burnt out. Such a shame....
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Laura M. 2 years ago on Google
    Second time here is two days for asthma. Couldn't have been a more different experience. First time I had a nurse that was able to draw blood effectively and I was able to get a chest xray and asthma meds fairly quickly. I was home in 4 hours. Tonight with worse breathing I am getting less monitoring and had a nurse who blew two veins before drawing blood. She was not confident about her ability to draw blood at all. I really don't understand why the ask folks who can't drawn blood to try twice before getting another nurse to help. Now if I need IV meds my best veins are blown.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Terry F. 4 years ago on Google
    6 hours. Our system has a problem. My thoughts are a $35. Fee may reduce those using the system as a alternative to going to a doctor. Make it tax deductible and drop fee if your admitted for a serious issue. Just a thought. We need to do something to reduce wait times and force people to be more responsible in the use of our health system.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Fadimatou Y. 1 year ago on Google
    Awful experience, the wait time is just horrible and there's nothing they give you to alleviate your pain as you wait. Just wasted 6 hours of my time waiting in pain and ended up leaving without seeing the doctor. How is it normal to leave patients in pain without any pain killer or anything for hours?? No-one comes to a hospital unless they are not well so understand its not a fun ride for patients pop up late at night. We need and deserve solutions.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Amanda J. 1 year ago on Google
    My partner waited over 12hrs to be seen - 16hrs total in the hospital. With no resolution for my partner, and in just as much pain as when they went in.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Amalie A. 2 years ago on Google
    Horrible experience. Came in at 7:30 pm on a Monday to a wait time of 6 hours minimum before I would be seen. Once I was taken into the emergency room, the staff were all drinking coffee, flirting and gossiping. No one came to see me even though I was crying and in pain, they appeared to actively avoid speaking with me. This is a perfect example of why someone would choose not to go to the hospital. Incredibly unprofessional. I was told I would have to wait a further 8 hours for treatment by the receptionist who was reading a book at her desk then told to sign a refusal of treatment despite not having been offered treatment. I will never be seeking treatment here again.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Justin A. 3 months ago on Google • 81 reviews New
    Yeah the wait times are a problem caused by our broken political system. However, the staff were great and explained everything clearly. It's not their fault that the system is busted.

  • 5/5 Elena C. 3 months ago on Google • 41 reviews New
    I grateful shout out to the ER! I didn't expect anything but a long and tedious wait, since I came with a flare-up of a chronic condition, but I was pleasantly surprised at how streamlined the relatively busy ER functioned tonight. Quick and efficient triage followed by almost immediate pain medication administration. I confess I left AMA soon after, just because I didn't want to take up time and space for those in more need of medical attention. Thank you for your help, guys! Have a wonderful holiday season!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Standup T. 8 months ago on Google • 3 reviews
    One doctor on duty in Emergency from 12:00am to 8 am Saturday morning at the Ottawa General. That's right, one Doctor at the main Hospital of a major city. That's why we have 13 hour waits, and Why? Because the CEO doesn't give a damn, nor does our premiere and the health minister. These are shameless people. Of course, with only one doctor on duty, the numerous nurses on duty had nothing to do, so they were in party mode 60% of the time. Meanwhile, people wait in pain, and often times, their condition only worsens.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Sarah K. 2 years ago on Google
    I came in saying its hard for me to breathe. After waiting over 5 hours to be seen, the doc is rude and dismissive of my symptoms, does a quick chest x ray, then tells me its "just anxiety", offers me no treatment options or coincelling on how to reduce the anxiety, then tells me to follow up with GP. I went to a walk in clinic the next day and they said its clearly asthma and gave me a puffer. STAY FAR AWAY FROM HERE. They are sexist and ableist and will not listen to your symptoms or concerns. Oh ya while I was there, another patient with nonverbal autism had multiple anxiety attacks due to sensory overstimulation and he was made to wait 5 hrs in the loud waiting room with the rest of us even after his attendant talked to the staff multiple times, no quiet place was offered even tho there was one in the adjacent hallway.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Marce D. 5 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) There is no service ... (Original) Il n’y pas de service ...
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Jose M. 4 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) When I arrived at the emergency room despite having identified myself as an emergency medical specialist and as a firefighter, the boy at the information booth had a terrible deal. He wanted to talk to the boss and told me that there was no boss there, he wanted who I could contact and a doctor came out at least I was in white I do not know if I would be a doctor since the treatment was appalling is unimaginable as between colleagues who are from different countries can be treated that I hope I never go to Peru and told me that I had to contact a phone that would be the director of the Emergency Department to call and a secretary apparently told me that I was not available to attend to anyone today or any day I already have an idea then because it is the health system in Canada how it is so I invite you to come to Peru so we can teach some medicine treatment to the patient and the colleague and some decency (Original) Al llegar a la sala de emergencias a pesar de haberme identificado como médico especialista en emergencias y como bombero el chico de la caseta de información tenía un pésimo trato quería hablar con el jefe y me dijo que ahí no había ningún jefe quería a quien me podía contactar y salió una doctora por lo menos estaba de blanco no sé si sería doctora ya que el trato fue pésimo es inimaginable como entre colegas que sean de diferentes países pueden tratarse que espero que jamás vaya a Perú y me dijo que tenía que contactarme con un teléfono que sería el director del Departamento de Emergencias al cual llame y una secretaria aparentemente me dijo que no estaba disponible para atender a nadie ni hoy ni ningún día ya me hago una idea entonces porque es el sistema de salud en Canadá cómo es por lo que los invito a que vengan a Peru así les podemos enseñar algo de medicina trato al paciente y al colega y algo de decencia
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Vitaliy P. 4 years ago on Google
    Very slow, like super slow
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mary Jane C. 8 months ago on Google • 5 reviews
    This is for everyone of you in emergency but in particular to Jennifer from the General Hospital Emergency Intake at The General on Tuesday July 4, 2023. You will never know the impact your kindness had on me that day. You could have just as easily taken my info when I came in and had me go back to a seat. Instead you gave me a new sling to comfort me while I waited and gave me medication to relieve the excruciating pain the fractures in my arm were causing. Thank you for making the rest of that day tolerable. I hope this message finds you somehow.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Alex V. 4 years ago on Google
    Ridiculous set up what's the point of having free healthcare
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Daoud f. 1 year ago on Google
    I want to give little advice before I mention my experience. Please everyone who goes to hospital and leave when you have time to give your experience please do so is it will help others who wan to go they don’t face what we have seeing. Now let me start with my experience. I went Tuesday morning around 7am I had broken leg. When they registered me I waited till 12pm I talked same girl who registered when will I be seeing someone to help me. She said I don’t know whatever I just wait again. 4pm new girl was there I ask am I gonna see someone? No answer I called my mom to give bring me food and I left the hospital and came back at 8pm and I asked girl will I be able to see someone? She asked my name and she said after 3 people I I’ll be able. 12am I asked when will I see someone? Doctors are left wait Wednesday 10am I left and came back with no help I just want to civic hospital. I don’t want disrespect the works but honestly 4 girls I saw Tuesday and Wednesday are worse people I have ever see even they don’t give you pain killer or something to help you come you know this is horrible service
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 D. M. 4 years ago on Google
    Evening of 08 October I went here with pain on my right side,I was sent from walk in clinic to emergency, pain was there constantly for over a week, young doctor at this emergency send me home almost saying that I'm faking and nothing is wrong with me, I went to walk in clinic again next day, they send me to Civic this time for CT scan, 2 weeks after I was told I have pneumonia and lungs infection. To the young doctor at the emergency; this is not job for you, please quit before you kill someone!!! 5 stars for nurses in tirage, they were amazing.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jim S. 1 year ago on Google
    Over the last few days, have had some trouble with pressure in my right ear. Couldn't hear on that side at all. So today, Jan.1, 2023, a statutory holiday mind you, l took a chance as to whether there would be a New Year's Day lineup, and so went to Emerg at The General up on Smyth Road in Ottawa. No appointment or nothing. Within a few hours they had hot-water irrigated my right ear, mopped me up and sent me on my way back home. Couldn't believe my luck. Can hear really well now. Those guys at The General run a great shop there. Great people. All pros. Tough to believe all those whiny, negative reviews.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Linda B. 1 year ago on Google
    These fine folks saved my sons life last weekend . Under so much pressure they managed to keep a smile on their faces and were so patient with everyone. I was so impressed with all that was done and I appreciate to the stars and back the fact that I can hold and speak with my son today . Thank you all for your amazing , amazing hard work :) Linda Burton
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Naseer Ahmad K. 11 months ago on Google
    It was great, today i arrived at 9:10 am, they took my blood and urine,all test has been don, doctor visiting was so satisified, and all my examination has been completed on 11:40 am, today. Thank for all their kind assisstance
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 FRYGUY P. 7 years ago on Google
    This hospital has saved my life on more than one occasion. The staff are friendly to their patients the facility is kept reasonably clean and they have made wondrous repairs on the Emergency Wing. Thanks Dr. Ho
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Toby H. 1 year ago on Google
    Been here now for 7 days already. I think I’m being treated with the best people Ottawa. Very best treatment.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ryan O. 7 years ago on Google
    The staff are compassionate and efficient despite the difficult circumstances.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 M. O. 2 years ago on Google
    Extremely prejudice against chronic pain patients and substance abuse patients. They have a no opioid prescribing policy for patients on long term opioid prescriptions who have lost access to their medication due to no fault of their own, such as arthritis patient fumbling their pills and they fall into the sink and need replacements or their opioids are stolen or their doctor has died without a replacement etc. This means they are abandoning patients that need their care and forcing them to have to seek opioids from the street or go through full blown withdrawal without properly titrating doses to prevent severe and life threatening symptoms. This is greatly contributing to the opioid crisis as the main cause of opioid ODs is unsafe supply as has now been proven and accepted by our own Canadian government. This sort of prejudice, marginalization and ableism will be remembered for what it is, cruel and inhumane. Shame on Ontario for allowing such prejudice to enter our hospitals. We still deserve emergency care even if we need opioids to treat our medical conditions.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Syed W. 2 years ago on Google
    Healthcare services in Ottawa(Canada in general) is a joke. Do youself a favor and do not visit this emergency unless its life threatening. I hurt my lower back yesterday and was in severe pain (couldn't sit and couldn't bend). Went to emergency at 7:30pm and waited till 12:30am for a doctor to see me. The agony of waiting for 5 hours in a so called emergency was much more than the back pain and I left without seeing a doctor. But all is well because its FREE healthcare...
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Maurice L. 1 year ago on Google
    Some triage need a bit more customer service training. Nurse and doctor in Emergency are very kind, assessment was very accurate. Thank you!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 William H. 2 years ago on Google
    Visited for a blood infection. All the staff were polite and the process was fairly straightforward. I was meant to have a bed while waiting but they made a mistake, and the wait was fairly long to see a doctor (2-3 hours). Also, doctor didn't ask about tetanus which was somewhat strange I felt. But generally, an all round positive experience.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jennifer Y. 3 years ago on Google
    I had to go to the ER at The General in January. My wait time was 45 minutes (I know, that's not usual)! Everyone was amazing from the screeners to the triage to the nurses and doctors. The MD's that I saw were caring and respectful. They saw me the next day, and then followed-up with a phone call a few days later. A painful, scary experience was made OK by the care I received. Thank you!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 nitin r. 6 months ago on Google • 12 reviews
    Horrible Horrible service. Wait time of 8 to 10 hrs. Unless you are dying, they won't even bother to ask you. They will register you and then it's like never ending wait times. The system is totally broken. It's worse than developing asian countries to be honest. Same on our politicians !!!! The don't the definition of emergency I guess. If your condition is not serious, don't bother coming here. Just go to walk-in clinics next early morning around 8.

  • 1/5 Luna M. 5 months ago on Google • 3 reviews
    absolutely hostile doctor. even when asked to fix his tone, he carries on being hostile and rude. does not let the patient finish their symptoms and concern for waiting in the emergency 14 hours. this is all regarding doctor stephen bernard choi.

  • 5/5 Victoria M. 1 year ago on Google
    Really fast and efficient at treating SVT attacks (been here twice). Very kind staff in resus. However, I would strongly recommend seeing a family doctor or going to a walk in clinic for non emergency matters. Thanks guys 👍

  • 1/5 Dylan P. 1 year ago on Google
    Not enough doctors. There is some nice people but there are also some people who think your condition is not severe enough and come off insulting . 16 hr waits for 2 minute talks.

  • 1/5 JMC _. 1 year ago on Google
    Don’t come here if u don’t want to wasting your time. We arrived at 6pm and they called us at 1am. Its 4 am now when I’m writing and my friend is in pain. I think they will treat you immediately only if you are dying.

  • 5/5 Angie H. 2 years ago on Google
    Went into Urgent due to increasingly concerning concussion symptoms. Everyone from info, to triage, to treatment were professional, swift, respectful and courteous. It was (to me) a busy unit, with a few aggressive patients and sudden emergencies on the unit, and the staff were quick to act and manage all these situations on top of providing myself and others care. Amazing team. I think reviewers on here forget how incredibly challenging it would be to work on these units where all the patients are stressed and resources can be limited. Thank you for a great job today

  • 5/5 Emmanuel A. 1 year ago on Google
    Always received the best care and the best service from the departments I've dealt with. Personal experience: couldn't ask for better. Thank you to all staff and all healtcare workers! A specific great thanks to ward 7 East, recieved amazing care pre and post surgery!!

  • 1/5 habiba a. 2 years ago on Google
    I came in with paramedics, my temperature was 40.8 and my heart rate was abnormally high, I had hard time breathing and my heart was hurting so much. The paramedics brought me promptly to ER. ER response: I have to wait for 5 hours in a chair. They did not even bring me water when I told them that I am dehydrated, or recheck my temperature to see if I am getting better. I asked them to go home and feed my 1-month old baby (coz they dont allow babies inside coz of covid) then come back in 4 hours when my turn is due, but they would just close the case if I leave. So either I wait in a chair for 5 hours dehydrated with extreme fever, or leave and lose my chance to get checked up! The frustration was just overwhelming

  • 1/5 yilin 2 years ago on Google
    Waited in the ER room for more than 8 hours. When I asked for a cup of water, That b*** nurse very very loud and rude refuse me! And they know I m here for stomach!!

  • 3/5 Ovidiu D. 2 years ago on Google
    My main beef is the elevator. The most unsafe I've used on 3 continents, G7, G20, developing, and underdeveloped countries. Doors close quickly and will crush you. Myself and another guy fought the doors and barely stopped them from crushing my elderly mom. This elevator should will not pass safety tests in 3rd world countries. The hospital is just another hospital in Canada. If you're lucky to bump into the right people at the right time you'll be taken care of. IMHO, the main reason for our hospitals being swamped (other than potential managerial incompetence and corruption) is the abismal level of primary care.

  • 1/5 Sdeepa C. 7 months ago on Google • 1 review
    Very slow service and the workers always have attitude. If you ask them anything they start acting annoyed and raise their voice. Today I called my father's his home care nurse because he was having unbearable pain and he was bleeding from his neck where his stage 4 skin cancer is located. The home care nurse came and assets the problem and recommended the he should go the emergency immediately because it looked like he had an infection and is was bleeding. I asked the home care nurse to call and ambulance becuase i thought they would be able to treat him pain quicker. The paramedic brought him to the waiting room at 1am and is 8am now and I don't how many hours more iam waiting. This is supposed to be "Emergency service" I don't think they know the meaning of word Emergency.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Jake K. 6 months ago on Google • 2 reviews
    My dad got there at 1am, sent by ambulance from the civic. 16 hrs later and no doctor , we got told that they forgot about him. Some staff is nice most are rude


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