Helping a loved one find faster care.

If you're coordinating care for a parent, partner, or friend, this short guide walks through what you can do — and what to ask their referring doctor — to find the shortest route to a procedure.

Start with the procedure, not the hospital

Most patients are referred to whichever hospital their family doctor uses. That hospital may not be the fastest option. Use the main wait-time table to see ranked options for the same procedure, then bring the list to your next appointment.

Ask the right questions

Ontario doctors can refer to any hospital in the province. Politely ask: "Would you be open to referring us to Hospital X? Their published wait time is shorter." Most physicians will say yes.

Keep records

Track referral dates, who you spoke with, and any reference numbers. If a referral seems to have stalled, a follow-up call to the receiving hospital's booking office often moves things along.

More reading

Our Tips & tricks guides cover referrals, second opinions, and what the priority levels (P2–P4) mean in practice. And remember: wait-time statistics describe past patients — your loved one's own wait depends on their clinical priority and surgeon. When in doubt, ask their care team.