Before you come
Your first visit
What happens, what to bring, and what you will and won’t be asked. If something here is still unclear when we open, that is our problem to fix — tell us.
How a first visit goes
Arriving
Ground floor is the pharmacy; the clinic is on the second floor. You will be asked for a health card if you have one, and the name you want us to use.
At the desk
Enough to triage and nothing more. “I’d rather explain it to the clinician” is a complete answer, and it will not be pushed.
Waiting
A shared waiting area. Nothing on a screen or called out loud identifies why anyone is there.
In the room
A conversation with a clinician, with the door shut. This is where the detail belongs, and where questions are welcome including ones you have been told are silly.
Anything that needs collecting
Bloodwork, swabs and samples are taken in the building, so most of the time you are not sent elsewhere afterwards.
Before you leave
What happens next, when results come back and how, what anything costs that isn’t covered, and how to reach us if something changes.
What to bring
Your health card if you have one. A list — or a photo — of anything you take, including things prescribed elsewhere, things bought over the counter, and things obtained outside the medical system. The name of any previous provider, if you want records requested.
None of this is a prerequisite. Turning up with none of it is fine. Care first, paperwork after, is the right order and it is the one we use.
If you don’t have a health card
Say so when you arrive. It changes how the visit is billed and what some things cost, and there are routes worth discussing — including help getting a card if you are eligible. Not having one is a reason to tell us, not a reason to stay away.
Names, pronouns and records
You will be asked what name you use and what your pronouns are, and both go in your record so that everyone who sees you knows without you repeating yourself. Being asked is routine here; it is not a signal that something is unusual about you.
Some fields are bound by law to your legal name — health-card billing and laboratory requisitions among them. We will tell you plainly which those are, rather than letting you discover it at a counter with people behind you.
Your record is confidential and is not disclosed outside your circle of care without your consent. If you have a specific worry about who can see what — a shared insurance plan, a family member, an employer — raise it at the visit. It is a fair question and there are usually concrete answers.
Common questions
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes, to any appointment, for any reason. If there is a point where it would be useful to speak with you alone, we will say so and explain why rather than just doing it.
What if I change my mind once I’m there?
Then you change your mind. Coming in, asking questions and leaving without starting anything is a completely ordinary visit and it will not be treated as a waste of anyone’s time.
Do I have to be examined?
No. Nothing happens without your agreement, an examination can be declined or stopped at any point, and you can ask for a chaperone. If an examination is genuinely necessary for the thing you came about, we will explain why rather than assume.
Will I be asked about my sex life?
Where it is relevant to what you came for, yes — and answering is what lets the right tests get ordered. It is asked matter-of-factly, and there is no answer that will be met with surprise.
What if I’ve had bad experiences with doctors before?
Say so at the start if you can. It is useful clinical information, not a complaint, and it changes how the visit is run — pace, explanation, what gets checked before it happens.
Is the building accessible?
Accessibility details for 231 Dundas St E will be published on the accessibility page before we open, with specifics rather than a general assurance.