Urgent care refers to medical services that provide immediate, non-emergency treatment for illnesses or injuries that require prompt attention but are not life-threatening.
Tips & Links
In BC, the availability of urgent care is important for people with health conditions who may not have access to their physician or have not been assigned a physician or nurse practitioner for their ongoing care.
Learn More
- Know that urgent care centers typically offer services such as treatment for minor injuries (sprains, fractures, cuts), illness management (colds, flu, infections), diagnostic services (X-rays, lab tests), and minor surgical procedures (stitches, wound care).
- Understand that you can get basic treatment for conditions like asthma, allergic reactions, mild to moderate pain, symptom management, undiagnosed fevers and emotional and mental health concerns.
- Learn more about urgent care services, hours and locations from Healthlink BC.
- Learn about other urgent care services including imaging, xrays, lab tests, vaccinations, or refilling prescriptions for chronic issues.
- Urgent care has medical and nursing staff available for immediate care when your regular physician is unavailable, or you do not have an assigned physician or nurse practitioner.
- Be aware that urgent care is not equipped for life-threatening emergencies. Go to the closest emergency department at a hospital or call 911.
- Know that if you are unable to visit a health care provider in person, many areas offer telehealth services where you can consult with a physician remotely for guidance. You can talk to a nurse or a physician by dialing 811 – part of Healthlink BC.
Have a Plan
- Have a plan to contact a family member, your health advocate or care partner if you need immediate help.
- Talk with your physician, specialist or pharmacist to determine who to call for what and when.
- Visit Urgent Care or Walk-in Clinics: For severe but non-life-threatening symptoms that need immediate attention, urgent care centers or walk-in clinics can provide quicker access to healthcare professionals.
- Call emergency services (911) if symptoms become life-threatening or you have difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, loss of consciousness.
- Reach out to 811 to ask for general health information, direct you on how to monitor your symptoms, or help you find health care in your community, if needed. Navigation services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from Healthlink BC.
Things You Can Do
- Learn about your health condition, treatment options, and patient rights. Use reliable sources like evidence-based and government websites.
- Ask questions of all your health care providers and seek clarification on anything you do not understand.
- Keep a record all your health information in your Health Profile – have access to it when going to health care visits or using urgent care or walk-in clinics.
- Choose a health advocate to assist you when you are not feeling well or strong enough to complete these tasks on your own.
Mywell Health helps you learn about and organize your health information in one place. Add all your personal information into the Health Profile fillable PDF tool. Scan health information and save into print and/or digital files in My Health Information.