Half of Canadians Face Significant Barriers to Family Doctor Access, New Poll Reveals
A startling new poll from the Angus Reid Institute has revealed that approximately half of all Canadians either do not have a family doctor or cannot secure timely appointments with their existing physician. This concerning statistic highlights a growing crisis in primary healthcare access across the nation.
Decade-Long Decline in Access to Primary Care
The comprehensive survey, conducted from November 26 to December 1, 2025, indicates that the percentage of Canadians experiencing difficult or no access to a family doctor has increased by a substantial 25 percent over the past decade. In 2015, 40 percent of Canadians reported access challenges, a figure that has now climbed to 50 percent in 2025.
The situation appears particularly dire when examining appointment wait times. The number of residents who reported difficulty seeing their doctor, with appointments typically requiring more than a week, jumped six percentage points from 25 percent in 2015 to 31 percent in 2025.
Widespread Concerns About Emergency Healthcare Access
The poll uncovered significant anxiety among Canadians regarding their ability to receive timely medical care during emergencies. Overall, 59 percent of respondents expressed worry that they would not receive prompt healthcare attention in emergency situations.
This concern was even more pronounced in British Columbia, where 62 percent of residents reported uncertainty about receiving timely emergency care. The poll results suggest a nationwide crisis of confidence in the healthcare system's responsiveness.
Provincial Variations in Doctor Shortages
The survey revealed notable provincial disparities in family doctor availability:
- Saskatchewan reported the highest percentage of patients without a family doctor at 22 percent
- Manitoba showed the lowest rate at 15 percent
- British Columbia maintained a consistent 17 percent without a doctor since 2015, with 37 percent reporting difficult access to their physician
Increasing Difficulty Finding Replacement Doctors
The poll indicates that Canadians without family doctors today face greater challenges finding replacements compared to a decade ago. In 2015, 31 percent of those seeking a general practitioner reported searching for more than a year. That number has now surged to 45 percent.
Additionally, there has been a four percentage point increase in the number of Canadians without family doctors who have completely given up on finding one, suggesting a growing sense of resignation about the healthcare system's capacity to meet basic needs.
Broader Healthcare Access Challenges
The survey uncovered additional concerning trends in healthcare accessibility:
- 40 percent of those needing care in the past six months experienced difficulties booking diagnostic tests
- 46 percent found it challenging to obtain necessary surgeries
- 52 percent reported difficulties accessing emergency care when needed
The Angus Reid Institute conducted this survey among 4,025 Canadian adults, with results carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. These findings paint a troubling picture of a healthcare system under increasing strain, with millions of Canadians facing significant barriers to basic medical care.
