Frequently asked questions
Ambulance charges are your responsibility unless you meet certain criteria for free ambulance transportation. Such criteria include transportation to a hospital following a traffic accident, or when a doctor has signed a form attesting to the medical need for transport for a person over age 65, or for people receiving Income Security benefits.
Private insurance will sometimes reimburse ambulance fees.
Dial 514 934-1934 and listen to the message. Choose your language and select option 3 and follow the instructions in the message.
The goal of MUHC visiting guidelines is to ensure that our patients receive the best balance of rest, care and support. The patient and family are considered partners in care. It is important for the healthcare staff to be able to provide care while maintaining a supportive and comfortable environment for patient and family. The number of family members and visitors in the room is dependent upon the patient’s condition. Guidelines for the presence of family and visitors is flexible and is based on the preferences and changing needs of the patient.
In some circumstances, an individualized visiting plan may be developed to respond to the needs of a specific patient and family. It will be developed collaboratively with patient, family and clinical staff.
Please follow these simple rules to help promote patient healing and recovery:
- Wash hands before and after visiting patients.
- Respect the posted Infection Control Signs on patient room doors.
- Respect restricted visiting rights. This normally occurs during an outbreak of a contagious illness.
- Do not touch a patient’s wound coverings, tubing or equipment at bedsides.
- Do not visit if sick with fever, cough, diarrhea or rash.
- Ensure your belongings are locked or with you at all times. The hospital is a public place and staff cannot be held accountable if items are stolen.
- Mutual respect between family, visitors and healthcare staff is essential.
- Courteous behaviour is a requirement.
Visit our Accessibility for patients with reduced mobility page for more information.
All sitesThe STM’s paratransit program provides door-to-door public transit service.
- Glen siteThe Glen site visitor parking lot includes 23 handicapped spaces. It is located directly underneath the main plaza. The Vendôme station is accessible for individuals with limited mobility.
- Montreal General HospitalThere are a total of 35 reserved handicapped spaces located near the Pine Avenue andCedar Avenue entrances of the hospital. There are also reserved spaces for patients who have a special pass or permit.
- Lachine HospitalPeople with a vehicle displaying a Disabled Parking Permit can park in the spaces reserved for that purpose in the visitor parking lot located near the emergency entrance on St. Antoine Street.
- Montreal Neurological HospitalHandicap entrances are north of the main entrance on University Street, or through the ambulance entrance at the rear of the hospital. There are also a few handicap spaces available off University Street through the ambulance entrance, just south of the main entrance.
Scroll down on the home page to see the Our Sites section of our website which provides this information.
Visitors are guests of the patient. Regular visiting hours (which do not apply to family) are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. This may change based on patient/nursing needs. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. For the patient’s privacy, visitors and family may be asked to leave the patient room for a short period of time.
Visiting hours for family members
At the Glen site, families can stay overnight in the single patient rooms on a sofa bed. If doing so, please speak with the nurse. In areas without these in-room facilities (like in critical care units), speak to the nurse about how you can stay overnight.
Click on the links below to find information on parking at our various sites:
Patients can bring their own wheelchair. In case of an accident, wheelchairs are available at MUHC. If you have been transported by ambulance to the hospital, and the technicians did not want to transport your wheelchair, you should ask a family member or friend to bring your wheelchair to the hospital just before you are discharged so you can leave the hospital using adapted public transport or taxi.
Visit our Accessibility for patients with reduced mobility page for more information.
Visit our Plan your stay page for more information.
Visitors are guests of the patient. Regular visiting hours (which do not apply to family) are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. This may change based on patient/nursing needs. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. For the patient’s privacy, visitors and family may be asked to leave the patient room for a short period of time.
Visiting hours for family members
At the Glen site, families can stay overnight in the single patient rooms on a sofa bed. If doing so, please speak with the nurse. In areas without these in-room facilities (like in critical care units), speak to the nurse about how you can stay overnight.
Visit our Plan your stay page for more information.
When you arrive at the hospital, follow the “URGENCE/EMERGENCY” signs. There are dedicated drop-off spaces for emergency patients that are adapted for people with reduced mobility. Once you have dropped off the patient, follow the signs to the parking lot. Please do not park in the drop-off zone.
Dial 514 934-1934 and listen to the message. Choose your language and select option 3, an operator will transfer your call at the patient’s location.
When you arrive, a triage nurse will ask you questions about your health and health concern and assign a priority according to the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), which ensures that the sickest people are always seen first. As a result, you may have to wait – even several hours – to see a doctor. We understand that can be difficult, but please be patient. We are working as a team to see every patient as quickly as possible.
Depending on your situation, you may be redirected to other health centres for services. For example, the MUHC’s orthopedic department is based at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH). So if you present at the Glen Site Emergency Department with a fracture, you could be transferred to the MGH or another institution within the healthcare network.
Patients are given priority according to the seriousness of their condition and not on a "first-come, first-served" basis. As a result, wait times may vary. Therefore, please do not phone the MUHC with any questions regarding waiting times at our emergency departments.