After Hours Care

Your family doctor is part of a group of 28 Family Physicians that offer care for urgent issues when the clinics are closed. These issues should be conditions that can be dealt with in a family medicine office and are acute in nature. Symptoms that have been present for weeks with no changes are best dealt with by your own family physician. See the section below for further examples.

After-hours care can be accessed by calling our office number and following the voicemail directions. For non-urgent issues, call our office the next business day. On weekends, after hours clinic times vary; call our office and follow the voicemail prompts for clinic information. Another resource is Health811 (previously called Telephone Health Advisory Service), which is a service where you can speak with a Registered Nurse regarding your symptoms, via phone at 811.

Grand River Family Health Organization

Please call 911 for emergencies!
An emergency is a life-threatening illness or injury.

The following are best assessed in the Emergency Department:

  • Chest pain or pressure

  • Trouble breathing

  • Severe bleeding that won’t stop

  • Broken bones

  • Deep cuts or wounds that require sutures

  • Head injury or trauma

  • Severe burns

  • Severe and sudden headache, dizziness, weakness, or trouble seeing or speaking.

The following will NOT be seen in the On-Call Clinic but should be seen by your family doctor:

  • Routine immunizations

  • Completion of forms

  • Narcotic or prescription renewals

  • Chronic conditions with no worsening or recent change

The following are appropriate On-Call visits:

  • Ear infection/throat infection

  • Minor cuts/wounds not requiring sutures

  • Skin infections or bites (animal or human)

  • Urinary tract infections (bladder infections)

  • Sprains or strains

  • Rashes

  • Recent illness that is worsening