National survey shows 6.5M Canadians don’t have a family physician, NP they see regularly

The OurCare initiative surveyed people across Canada last fall about their access to primary care and preferences for the future. Researchers were struck by how much variation there is in access to a family doctor or NPs across the country. Ont. fared the best with just 13% of people saying they didn’t have a primary care provider they see regularly. By contrast, over double that number in B.C. (27%), Atlantic Canada (31%), and Que. (31%) said they lacked a primary care provider. The results also found racialized people, those with lower incomes and those in poor health were among those least likely to report having a regular primary care provider. People without such a provider sought treatment for nonurgent health issues at in-person and virtual walk-in clinics (50% and 27%, respectively) or ERs (24%) instead. Some turned to other health professionals, including pharmacists (14%), chiropractors (5%), specialist physicians (3%) and naturopaths (3%).