April 06, 2023
Over in five Canadians (6.5 million people) don't have a family physician or NP they see regularly. That’s a dramatic increase since 2019 when Statistics Canada estimated 4.5 million people didn't have a regular provider. People in B.C. (27%), Atlantic Canada (31%), and Que. (31%) said they didn’t have a primary care provider they see regularly. 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 a regular primary care provider sought treatment for non-urgent 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%).