6 Health Services in Toronto

Sick and tired of searching for medical services while you or someone you love is literally sick and tired? Save your sanity—the search for some relief is over. We've coughed up a list of walk-ins and specialized services that will get the whole family back on their feet in no time.

Along with our favourite babysitter's phone number, Medvisit used to be a secret we only shared with a select few. Now we're better citizens. After all, every family should know about an at-home doctor service that allows you to stay put with your sick one while a doctor comes to you. Tip: Call as soon as they open at 8:00 am, and note that there are only an unspecified number of home visits allocated for each part of the city each day.

Referred to us by our pediatrician, Kid E Care in the Yonge and Eglinton area has really good hours and can deal with most non-emergency childhood illnesses in less time than your local hospital. Write down their hours and stash the note somewhere safe: Monday–Friday from 6 pm–10 pm; Saturday–Sunday from 10 am–4 pm.

We're big fans of this medical clinic concept—a walk-in clinic that also offers appointment times. Book a same-day appointment with them once, and you'll automatically be added to their patient database, allowing you to call ahead for same-day medical service without completing a pile of paperwork or waiting for hours in an illness-infested waiting room. Sounds civilized, no? (Mon to Thurs 9 am to 8 pm; Fri 9 am to 5 pm)

Another walk-in with the benefit of appointments, Infinity claims to have the shortest waiting times in the city. We can't vouch for that from experience, but we think it's worth checking them out, especially if the location close to Union Station works well when you're the one who's under the weather. (Mon–Fri 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday, Sat and Sun 10 am to 3 pm)

Their Beaches location is one of seven walk-in clinics in the city that fall under the well-run Comprehensive Health Network, providing a variety of specialist services, family doctors and walk-in hours all under one roof. Call as times vary depending on which physician is offering walk-in hours.

While this clinic's website says that ‘children who require emergency dental care should be taken immediately to the Emergency Department of the Hospital for Sick Children,' it's good to have a dental emergency contact (with 24 hour service) in your back pocket for painful weekend toothaches and those dreaded beer league hockey incidents.