Guides
Walk-in clinic, urgent care or emergency?
Three doors for care that cannot wait for an appointment, and how to tell which one you need. Kind Clinic is not open yet, so this guide points at the doors that are.
In an emergency, call 911.
Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, heavy bleeding, a serious injury, or thoughts of harming yourself: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Near 231 Dundas St E, that is St. Michael’s Hospital, at Victoria and Shuter Streets, about ten minutes west on foot.
Which door, in a line each
Walk-in clinic
For a problem that needs a doctor today but is not dangerous. You do not need an appointment, and the visit is covered by OHIP with a valid health card.
Urgent care centre
Some hospitals run one for problems that cannot wait but are not emergencies. What each one treats, and when it is open, varies, so check before you go.
Emergency department
For anything that could be life-threatening, at any hour. The most urgent patients are seen first, so a minor problem can wait a long time.
Health811
Not sure which? Call 811 (TTY 711), day or night. It is Ontario’s free health advice line, and it can help you find a service near you.
What a walk-in clinic usually sees
- Coughs, colds, sore throats and fevers
- Ear, eye and skin problems, and rashes
- Urinary tract infections
- Minor injuries
- A prescription that has run out
- Notes, forms and referrals
If you need more than one visit can give, a walk-in doctor can refer you on: for imaging, to a specialist, or to the emergency department.
Before you go
Check that it is open
Walk-in hours change, and a busy clinic can stop taking walk-ins before it closes. Check the clinic’s website or Google listing, or call, before you set off.
Bring your health card
And a list of any medicines you take, with the doses if you know them.
Allow for a wait
Walk-in clinics get busy. Some let you book a same-day time online, which can save sitting in the waiting room.
No health card? Read seeing a doctor without OHIP.
How long emergency departments take
Ontario Health publishes how long people spend in each hospital’s emergency department. You can look a hospital up by name, and the figures are refreshed every month.
They are averages for past months, not a live wait. If your problem is not dangerous, a walk-in clinic or Health811 is usually the quicker door.
Common questions
Is urgent care the same as a walk-in clinic?
No. In Ontario an urgent care centre is often run by a hospital, for problems that cannot wait but are not emergencies. A walk-in clinic is a doctor’s office that sees people without an appointment.
Should I go to the emergency department for a minor problem?
If it is not dangerous, a walk-in clinic or Health811 is usually quicker. The emergency department sees the most urgent patients first, so a minor problem can wait a long time.
What if the walk-in clinic is full?
Check another clinic’s hours, or call 811 for advice on where else to go. If it becomes an emergency, call 911.
Do I need an appointment for a walk-in clinic?
No, that is what walk-in means. Some clinics also let you book a same-day time online, which can save a wait.
When Kind Clinic opens
Kind Clinic will run a walk-in at 231 Dundas St E, in downtown Toronto. Its hours will be on the walk-in page and on Google before we open.
Until then, this guide and health services near Moss Park say where to go.
Sources
Checked against these on 3 October 2026.
St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto