Here's how long you wait to see a doctor at Ottawa's emergency departments

The average wait time to see a doctor in Ottawa's emergency departments increased in May, with three Ottawa hospitals ranking in the top 10 in Ontario for the longest wait times.

New statistics from Health Quality Ontario shows patients waited an average of 2.1 hours to see a doctor in an Ontario emergency room in May, up from 1.9 hours in April.

In Ottawa, the average wait time to see a doctor for a first assessment in the emergency room was between 1.9 hours and 3.7 hours.

CHEO reported an average wait of 3.7 hours for the first assessment by a doctor in May, up from 3.4 hours in April.  Ottawa's children's hospital recorded its busiest May on record, with more than 235 kids per day visiting the hospital for care.

The Ottawa Hospital General Campus saw an average wait of 3.6 hours for a first assessment by a doctor in May, up from 3.4 hours in April. At the Civic Campus, the average wait for a first assessment by a doctor was 2.8 hours in May, up from 2.5 hours in April.

Patients waited an average of 3.4 hours for a first assessment by a doctor at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in May, up from 2.8 hours in April.

The Montfort Hospital had the shortest wait to see a doctor, at 1.9 hours in May. That's up from 1.8 hours in April.

The statistics come as hospitals across Ottawa and eastern Ontario report longer than usual wait times in the emergency department due to patient volumes. 

A message on CHEO's website says, "Expect longer waits. If your child needs urgent care, come to CHEO. Please bring any essentials you will need for a long wait, because it's a really busy time. As always, the sickest people get seen first."

The emergency room at the Glengarry Memorial Hospital is closed overnights until Aug. 3 due to staffing shortages, while the emergency room at the Perth Hospital has been closed since July 2.

CHEO, the Queensway Carleton Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital rank in the top 10 for the longest wait times for a first assessment by a doctor in the emergency room.

The Windsor Regional Hospital – Metropolitan Campus has the longest wait times to see a doctor in Ontario, at 5.1 hours in May. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has the second-longest wait times, followed by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

The Hawkesbury and District General Campus ranked fourth for wait times, at 3.8 hours.