Sick Note for Scarborough — All Areas
Scarborough's 650,000 residents share clinics designed for half that population. MedLetter is the overflow valve.
Healthcare Access in Scarborough
Scarborough — Toronto's eastern district with 650,000+ residents — faces the most severe primary care shortage in the GTA. The area has fewer family physicians per capita than any other part of Toronto, and walk-in clinics bear an impossible burden. Town Care Medical Clinic (open 7 days), Scarborough Health Network's Urgent Care Centre, and scattered Appletree locations serve a population that's 60% immigrant, with over 40% lacking a family doctor. Wait times at Scarborough walk-in clinics routinely exceed 2-3 hours — and that's before accounting for the transit time required to reach them across Scarborough's sprawling, car-dependent geography.
Who We Serve
Scarborough's workforce is the backbone of the GTA economy: healthcare aides, PSWs, warehouse workers, transit operators, food processing workers, retail staff, and trades workers. Many work shifts, hold multiple jobs, and lack employer-provided benefits. The population is predominantly immigrant (60%+), with significant South Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Caribbean, and East African communities. For these workers, a 3-hour clinic visit doesn't just cost time — it costs a shift's wages, childcare arrangements, and potentially their job. MedLetter provides documentation at a price ($49) that's less than the wages lost from a clinic visit, accessible regardless of OHIP status or language proficiency.
Ontario Employment Standards & Your Rights
For Scarborough workers: Ontario's ESA protects ALL employees — including part-time, temporary, agency, and casual workers — with 3 unpaid sick days per year (no note required since October 2024). This applies in warehouses, factories, retail stores, and healthcare facilities. If your employer threatens consequences for taking ESA-protected sick leave, that's illegal. MedLetter documentation creates a paper trail that protects you. For workers without OHIP: MedLetter's $49 fee is the same regardless of insurance status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Scarborough walk-in clinic waits so long?
Scarborough has fewer family physicians per capita than any other part of Toronto, meaning walk-in clinics absorb demand from 650,000+ residents — many without family doctors. The closure of the Scarborough RT in 2023 further concentrated demand at accessible locations. MedLetter bypasses this entirely.
I work in a Scarborough warehouse — will my employer accept an online sick note?
Yes. All Ontario employers — including warehouses, distribution centres, and factories — must accept documentation from CPSO-registered physicians. The consultation format (virtual vs in-person) has no bearing on the note's legal validity.
Can I use MedLetter without OHIP?
Yes. MedLetter does not bill OHIP. Our $49 flat fee applies regardless of insurance status. This is especially important for Scarborough's large immigrant population — including those in the 3-month OHIP waiting period, refugee claimants, or workers without provincial coverage.
Is there an urgent care centre in Scarborough?
Scarborough Health Network operates an Urgent Care Centre at 3030 Birchmount Rd, but it's designed for conditions more serious than those requiring a sick note, and waits average 2-4 hours. For simple sick note documentation, MedLetter is faster and more appropriate.
Get Your Sick Note — $49