Emergency & urgent care
When it's urgent: ER, UPCC, ambulance, and care at night or on holidays.
ER, walk-in, or UPCC: pick the right place the first timeOne table explaining what each place is for; the UPCC. with imaging and stitches on site. is the “in-between” option many newcomers discover for the first time.Going to the ER in Greater Vancouver: what to expectWhen the ER is truly needed, why it isn't first-come-first-served, what to bring, and what actually shortens your wait.Long waits in the ER: how triage works and what to do if you want to leaveERs see patients by severity in five levels, not by arrival. Tell the triage nurse if you get worse; if you want to leave, ask whether it is safe and which symptoms mean coming back at once.How much an ambulance costs in BC: $80 with MSP, $848 withoutBC Emergency Health Services ambulance fees with and without MSP, charges when no transport occurs, hospital transfers, who is exempt, and the ambulance-bill bitcoin scam.Getting care in BC over Christmas and New Year: 8-1-1, UPCCs and pharmaciesWhich days are BC statutory holidays, and what is available when clinics close: 8-1-1 nurses and pharmacists, virtual physicians, UPCCs and pharmacies, plus when to call 911.Where's still open tonight: evening care guideWhere to go after 8pm: UPCCs, late-night walk-ins, what to do when everything's closed, the 8-1-1 line, and saving evening clinics in advance.Sudden eye problem: where to go firstSudden vision loss, eye injury or severe eye pain: when to go to emergency right away, when to start with an optometrist, whether a walk-in clinic can help, and how to find an optometrist near you.