How to Get Care After Hours Without Risking Your Family Doctor Relationship.

After Hours Care: How to Get Help Without Losing Your Family Doctor

You can absolutely get after-hours care without risking your relationship with your family doctor. In fact, most family doctors expect and encourage their patients to seek appropriate care when the clinic is closed.

How it works

Your family doctor wants you to get care when you need it, even when they're not available. Think of after-hours options as extensions of your regular care, not replacements for it.

When you visit a walk-in clinic, use telehealth, or go to urgent care, you're getting temporary care for an immediate need. These providers typically send a summary of your visit back to your family doctor, which actually helps keep your medical records complete and up to date.

Your relationship with your family doctor stays intact because you're still their patient. After-hours care is just filling the gaps when your regular clinic is closed evenings, weekends, or holidays.

What you'll need

- Your health card

- A list of current medications

- Your family doctor's name and clinic information

- Brief summary of the problem

Choosing the right option

Walk-in clinics work well for things like minor infections, prescription refills, or new symptoms that can't wait for your next appointment. Many clinics now offer online booking so you can check wait times.

Telehealth services like Arlo let you text with a healthcare provider from home, which is especially helpful with young kids. You get advice, treatment plans, and prescriptions when appropriate, all while staying in your pajamas.

For more serious concerns that aren't quite emergencies, urgent care centres bridge the gap between walk-in clinics and the ER.

Common questions

Will my family doctor be upset if I go elsewhere? Not at all. Family doctors understand they can't be available 24/7, and they'd rather you get appropriate care than wait and potentially get sicker.

Should I tell my family doctor about after-hours visits? You can mention it at your next appointment, but most after-hours providers send reports automatically. If you received new medications or important test results, definitely bring those up.

What if I can't get in to see my family doctor for follow-up? This is where after-hours care really shines. You can often get faster follow-up through the same service you used initially, then loop your family doctor in once they're available.

The takeaway

Getting after-hours care when you need it makes you a smart healthcare consumer, not a disloyal patient. Your family doctor will appreciate that you sought appropriate care instead of suffering or ending up in the ER unnecessarily.

You can always text Arlo and talk to a provider in 5 minutes!

References

- [Finding a Health Care Provider](https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-health-care-provider)

- [When to Visit a Walk-in Clinic vs. Family Doctor](https://www.ontario.ca/page/primary-care-where-to-go)

- [Telehealth Ontario](https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-medical-advice-telehealth-ontario)