Hong Kong Public Hospital A&E Waiting Times
Live reference for waiting times at all 18 public hospitals with A&E service
Data updated: Jul 14, 2026, 11:00 AM · Data refreshes every 15 minutes
| Hospital | Urgent | Semi-urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth Hospital | 14 minutes | 1.5 hours |
| St. John Hospital | 15 minutes | 0.5 hours |
| North Lantau Hospital | 15 minutes | 1 hour |
| Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital | 18 minutes | 2.5 hours |
| Tuen Mun Hospital | 18 minutes | 6 hours |
| Tin Shui Wai Hospital | 21 minutes | 3.5 hours |
| United Christian Hospital | 24 minutes | 3 hour |
| Caritas Medical Centre | 24 minutes | 1.5 hours |
| Yan Chai Hospital | 27 minutes | 6 hours |
| Pok Oi Hospital | 27 minutes | 3.5 hours |
| Ruttonjee Hospital | 28 minutes | 3.5 hours |
| Prince of Wales Hospital | 30 minutes | 3.5 hours |
| Queen Mary Hospital | 32 minutes | 2.5 hours |
| Tseung Kwan O Hospital | 35 minutes | 4 hours |
| North District Hospital | 40 minutes | 6.5 hours |
| Princess Margaret Hospital | 45 minutes | 3 hours |
| Kwong Wah Hospital | 47 minutes | 6 hours |
| Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital | 57 minutes | 4.5 hours |
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A&E Triage Categories
A&E operates a triage system: a nurse assesses each patient on arrival and assigns them to one of the five categories below by severity. More urgent patients are seen first — treatment order isn't based on arrival order.
- Category I: Critical
- Immediate, life-threatening danger and an extremely unstable condition. Resuscitation begins immediately, with no wait.
- Category II: Emergency
- Potentially life-threatening. The Hospital Authority's target is to treat 95% of these patients within 15 minutes.
- Category III: Urgent
- Serious but currently stable. The Hospital Authority's target is to treat 90% of these patients within 30 minutes.
- Category IV: Semi-urgent
- A less severe condition that still needs attention. The Hospital Authority has not published a fixed target time for this category — the actual wait depends on the department's overall workload and the number of more urgent cases.
- Category V: Non-urgent
- A stable condition comparable to a general outpatient visit, usually seen last. If your condition isn't urgent, consider a General Outpatient Clinic or Family Medicine Clinic instead.
These triage categories and target response times are set by the Hospital Authority and apply across all public hospital A&E departments. The targets are overall service benchmarks, not a guarantee for any individual patient — actual treatment order still depends on clinical assessment and the department's situation at the time.
The A&E Process
- 1RegistrationOn arrival, go to the registration counter and present your identity document to register.
- 2Triage assessmentAn experienced, specially trained nurse assesses your condition and assigns you to one of the triage categories above.
- 3WaitingYou wait in order of triage priority — more urgent patients are seen first. If your condition changes while waiting, notify staff promptly for reassessment.
- 4Consultation and investigationsA doctor examines you and may order blood tests, imaging, or other investigations to help with diagnosis.
- 5Treatment and dispositionOnce treatment is complete, the doctor arranges discharge, a specialist outpatient follow-up referral, or admission for further observation and treatment, depending on your condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the wait at A&E?⌄
It depends on your triage category and how busy the hospital is at the time — the more urgent your condition, the sooner you're seen. Category I (Critical) patients aren't kept waiting; Category II (Emergency) targets 15 minutes; Category III (Urgent) targets 30 minutes; Category IV/V (Semi-urgent/Non-urgent) patients are more stable and may wait longer depending on the department's overall workload. See the table above for each hospital's latest figures, or the "A&E Triage Categories" section below for details.
How does A&E triage work?⌄
On arrival, an experienced, specially trained nurse assesses each patient and assigns them to one of five triage categories (Critical, Emergency, Urgent, Semi-urgent, Non-urgent) by severity. More urgent patients are seen first — treatment order isn't based on arrival order. See the "A&E Triage Categories" section below for details.
Can I eat while waiting at A&E?⌄
Since some tests (e.g. blood tests, imaging) or treatments (e.g. those requiring anaesthesia or surgery) may require fasting, A&E generally advises against eating or drinking until you've been examined and staff confirm it's fine — ask the attending medical staff if you're unsure.
What is A&E?⌄
A&E (Accident & Emergency) is a hospital's 24-hour service for sudden, serious, or potentially life-threatening conditions, triaged by severity. It isn't intended for non-urgent issues like a common cold — if your condition isn't urgent, consider a General Outpatient Clinic, Family Medicine Clinic, or a private doctor instead.