February 16, 2024
A national survey found 6.5 million people in Canada don’t have a family doctor or NP they can see regularly. Sixty percent of those who do can’t get a same-day or next-day appointment for a sprained ankle, UTI or other minor health problem. CIHI says while the supply of doctors in Canada grew 2% in 2022 compared with 2021, the increase was just 1.6% for family medicine doctors, versus 2.5% for specialists. People who need care the most - Indigenous, racialized and low-income communities - aren’t getting it, research shows. By some estimates, 10 million Canadians will be without any source of primary care within three to four years.
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