Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2023 Report (2024)

FAQs

How long are wait times in Canada Healthcare? ›

Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2023 is an annual survey of physicians across Canada, finding a median wait time of 27.7 weeks—the longest ever recorded—with national wait times longest between a referral by a GP and plastic, orthopaedic, and neurosurgery, while shortest for radiation and ...

Such long delays for treatment can put patients' health at risk, as can similarly long waits for diagnostics. In 2023, Canadians faced a median wait of around 13 weeks for an MRI, 6.6 weeks for a CT scan, and just over 5 weeks for an ultrasound.

Studies by the Commonwealth Fund found that 42% of Canadians waited 2 hours or more in the emergency room, vs. 29% in the U.S.; 57% waited 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, vs.

CMAJ: Why are wait times so bad in Canada? Simpson: There are bottlenecks everywhere. A lot of delays are driven by the fact that hospitals operate at very high capacity because there are large numbers of patients requiring alternate levels of care [who have nowhere else to go].

The national wait time average is 68 minutes, an increase of 31 from 2022's average of 37 minutes. Medimap says wait times in Edmonton are about 73 minutes; in Calgary 68 and 72 minutes in Red Deer.

Costs are lower, more services are provided, financial barriers do not exist, and health status as measured by mortality rates is superior. Canadians and Germans have longer life expectancies and lower infant mortality rates than do U.S. residents.

A 2022 survey found that 63 percent of Canadian individuals indicated a lack of staff was the biggest problem facing the national healthcare system. Access to treatment and/or long waiting times were also considered to be pressing issues.

Canada's shortage of health-care workers

Canada anticipates a shortfall of 78,000 physicians by 2031, and 117,600 nurses by 2030.

British Columbia, the top-ranked province, places third behind Switzerland and Sweden, with “A”s on 4 of the 11 indicators.

If I get sick or have an accident while visiting Canada, will the Government of Canada pay for my medical treatment? Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. You should get health insurance to cover any medical costs before you come to Canada.

Which country has the best healthcare system in the world? ›

The Best Healthcare Systems in the World in 2024

What country has the best healthcare, according to this assessment? Singapore comes in at No. 1! Other countries with the best healthcare are listed below.

You can get treatment but you will have to pay for it. The only people allowed “free” health care are Canadian citizens and permanent residents because it is not actually free.

In addition, the median waiting time from a specialist appointment to treatment was 13.1 weeks. In other words, the median wait from a referral by GP to treatment in Canada reached an average of 27.7 weeks in 2023. However, the median waiting times in Canada ranged from 22 weeks in Ontario to 57 weeks in Nova Scotia.

Specialist physicians surveyed report a median waiting time of 27.4 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment—longer than the wait of 25.6 weeks reported in 2021.

Once you have Permanent Resident status and are actually in Canada, there is a wait period which varies from province to province. I believe three months is the average. If you are not a Permanent Resident or Canadian citizen you will not qualify for any provincial healthcare plan.

Healthcare in Canada is publicly funded, meaning the cost of health and medical expenses is shared by taxpayers. This single-payer system means that eligible users typically do not have to pay for most healthcare and hospital services in Canada.

Crucially, among the 10 comparable universal health-care countries that measure wait times, Canada ranks last with the lowest percentage (38 per cent) of patients who waited four weeks or less to see a specialist, and the lowest percentage of patients (62 per cent) who waited four months or less for elective surgery.

Most provinces and territories require residents to be physically present for at least 183 days to access free healthcare. If you're leaving your residence for a long period, you must also provide proof of your intent to return.