Nearly 60% of British Columbians find it difficult to access a doctor or have no access at all: poll – CBC

36 per cent in B.C. find difficulty getting doctor’s appointment, 23 per cent don’t have a doctor but want one

Sep 08, 2022

A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests half of Canadians face challenges accessing a doctor. The problem is more pronounced in British Columbia.

Half of respondents across Canada said they found it difficult to access a family doctor or didn’t have a doctor at all. That number rose to 59 per cent for respondents in B.C., and 60 per cent in Atlantic Canada.

Thirty-three per cent of all respondents reported having “difficult access” to a doctor — waiting a week or more for an appointment — while 17 per cent did not have a doctor but wanted one. In B.C., those numbers were 36 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

One in five Canadians — about six million Canadian adults — do not have a family doctor, according to the institute.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/angus-reid-institute-doctor-access-bc-1.6575386