Research says funding cuts and poor organisation stop Canadians from accessing healthcare – and 20% have no doctor at all

Note: these are my chosen quotes from the articles:

The CMAJ study, led by family physicians and researchers at the University of Toronto and published on Monday, compares the Canadian healthcare system with those of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the UK. Those countries were chosen because 95% or more citizens have access to a family physician.

She pointed out that Norwegians and Finns are automatically registered to a doctor or health centre, and those in the UK have a right to register with care providers in their immediate communities.

Many Canadians, however, wait for years on provincial family doctor waitlists. Others have to call around town in hopes of finding someone willing to accept them. In the interim, they cobble care together through urgent care clinics, hospital ERs and, in some cases, private out-of-pocket services.

  • setVeryLoud(true);
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    21 year ago

    I’m in Montreal and in the same situation. No family doctor, whenever I have a health issue I have to call 811 to get sent to a clinic so I can have my problems dismissed by a random doctor.

    I’m tempted to go to Ontario to pay for a private doctor, which defeats the purpose of our system.

    • @cheese_greater
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      21 year ago

      Can you ask your friends/family who they see and ask if they can hook you up?

      • setVeryLoud(true);
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        31 year ago

        They’re all full and not taking any new patients, or nowhere near where I live unfortunately