Wait times vary by both demand and staffing, as well as the care needed by the patient.
I type this while sitting up all night (for the 10th consecutive night) in Mrs. CTL’s hospital room.
When we arrived outside the ER in the driveway I lowered my car window and yelled to a nurse who was discharging a patient that we needed a wheelchair and staff to get Mrs. CTL out of car and into triage. Within 2 minutes 3 staff and a wheelchair were at the car. It took ten minutes to transfer her. I locked the car where it sat and followed them inside. Immediately they started taking vitals while I dealt with quick registration. In 5 minutes we were in our way to an ER room and exams and treatment began. It was 2:30 in the afternoon on a weekday. We had passed through the ER waiting room and it was virtually empty. Only half the ER treatment room were in use. At 10 pm I left the treatment room to move my car to the hospital garage. By then every treatment room was in use, I counted 14 patients on gurneys in the hallway being treated. The large ER waiting room was full. At 2 am she was admitted and sent to ICU. 8 days in ICU, half the rooms empty but no bed was available on a medical floor so it took an extra day til she was moved.
Since arriving on the full medical floor, I walk the corridor to stretch my legs. Tonight I counted 3 empty rooms for the first time.
What it will be in an hour? I don’t know and couldn’t guess.
Your timing depends on many variables