A new survey has found that a shortage of family doctors and an understaffed health-care system has led to mounting frustration among Canadians. The Toronto-based OurCare Initiative surveyed nearly 10,000 people across the country to learn about patient experiences and gather feedback on how to address Canada’s primary health-care crisis. The initiative, led by Dr. Tara Kiran, heard from Canadians through community roundtables, provincial panels, and a national survey between September 2022 and December 2023.
The newly released 72-page report details patient discontent with inconsistent access to primary health care and long wait times for appointments. Dr. Kiran shared that people’s stories were both heartwarming and heartbreaking, highlighting a common sentiment that every person deserves access to high-quality primary care that is accountable to patients and the public.
The report revealed an “attachment crisis” with an estimated 22 percent of Canadian adults (6.5 million people) lacking a family doctor or nurse practitioner they can see consistently. Access to primary care was especially limited in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, while the survey also found that young people are less likely to have a doctor than older adults.
To address the primary care crisis, the report emphasized the need to hire more doctors and nurse practitioners, suggesting that accelerating the process for hiring qualified foreign doctors could be a key solution. The report called on governments to expedite the licensing process for foreign-trained professionals and recruit more of them to work in primary care. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault recently announced an $86 million investment in the government’s foreign credential recognition program to help address job vacancies in the health-care sector.
The OurCare report also recommended expanding team-based primary care, increasing access to virtual care, and making medical records easily accessible to patients online. The report encouraged Ottawa and the provinces to adopt the ‘OurCare Standard’ recommendations based on public feedback to improve the ailing health-care system and provide Canadians with the care they deserve.