Health care on the brink: Half of Canadians have issues accessing family doctor

Newly released data says the struggle for Canadians to see or find a family doctor has gotten worse over the past 10 years.

One in eight Canadians say they’ve been searching for a family doctor for more than a year — or have stopped looking altogether, according to new data released Thursday from the Angus Reid Institute.

Comparing data from 2015 to 2025, the institute found that the share of Canadians who either struggle to find or have no access to a family doctor increased by 25 per cent, rising from 40 per cent in 2015 to 50 per cent last year.

At the same time, timely access has become far less common, as just 15 per cent of Canadians now say it’s easy to get an appointment with their family doctor within a day or two, down nine points from 24 per cent in 2015.

Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that, since 2015, the number of family doctors per capita has increased both nationally and in every province — except Alberta and Ontario —yet those gains have not translated into easier access for patients, the institute explained.

The data points to several factors behind the disconnect, including an aging population with more complex health needs and a shift towards more specialized or limited-scope family practices. The result is that fewer Canadians are able to see their family doctor when they need care.

Among Canadians who sought medical attention in the past six months, two in five say they had trouble booking a diagnostic test. Nearly half report difficulty accessing surgery, while a majority - 56 per cent - say it was hard to get an appointment with a specialist.

Even emergency care is proving elusive, with 52 per cent saying they faced barriers when trying to access it.

Despite record levels of spending, public confidence in Canada’s health-care system continues to slide. Seven in 10 Canadians say the quality of health care in their province has worsened over the past decade, reflecting growing frustration.

Since 2015, total health-care spending has almost doubled, rising from $219 billion to nearly $400 billion, including an increase of roughly $130 billion in public spending. Despite that, many Canadians who responded to the poll say they are seeing little improvement on the ground.

That disconnect is fuelling deep anxiety about access in moments of need. Nearly three in five Canadians say they are not confident they would be able to get timely care in the event of a medical emergency, underscoring fears that the system may not be there when it matters the most.

Dissatisfaction with political leadership on health care is also widespread. More than seven in 10 Canadians say they are unhappy with how their provincial government is handling the issue.

Access challenges vary by region, but some provinces stand out. Saskatchewan reports some of the highest levels of difficulty, with 41 per cent of residents saying they have trouble accessing a family doctor and another 22 per cent saying they don’t have one at all.

Quebec follows closely, where nearly one-third of residents report having no family doctor, alongside 29 per cent who say access is difficult. Atlantic Canada also reports elevated levels of strain, with 39 per cent citing difficulty and 21 per cent saying they lack a family physician altogether.

Quebec also stands out for the length of time many residents have been searching for care. Nearly one in five Quebecers say they have been looking for a family doctor for more than a year.

Methodology

The findings are based on an online survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute between Nov. 26 and Dec. 1 of 2025, among a randomized sample of 4,025 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.