About 1,400 residents of the Chatham-Kent community of Wheatley will be without a family doctor when the one they have retires at the end of the year.
They will join the one in five Canadians across the country who do not have access to a family physician, according to a new Angus Reid survey.
The story of Doctor David Eaton’s retirement is one of several stories Canadians are sharing about their difficulties accessing primary care. In Victoria, B.C., an elderly woman took out an ad in her local newspaper. She needed help renewing her husband’s prescriptions and hit a roadblock at every turn.
Angus Reid surveyed more than 2,200 people last month to gauge their access to a primary caregiver, and the findings shed light on the shortage of family doctors across Canada.
It showed that of those who have access, a third have trouble getting in to see them. Forty-one per cent said their doctor’s office is booking appointments more than a week out, despite the wide acceptance of virtual healthcare. Another 41 per cent wait a few days to see their doctor.
The shortage impacts patients of all ages, but the largest demographic is adults between 18 and 34. Twenty-eight per cent of men in that age group and 21 per cent of women don’t have a doctor. Of those who are 55 and older, 13 per cent don’t.
For those who find it difficult to get a timely appointment, getting in to see a specialist or get diagnostic tests prove to be an additional challenge.
Most Canadians have a doctor, but a third of those who don’t have been looking for over a year. Another 29 per cent have given up the search.
The pollster also asked Americans about access to a family doctor and found more Canadians have a primary caregiver, 80 per cent compared to 76 per cent of U.S. residents.
Almost two in ten Americans said they also have difficulty getting an appointment.
As for seeing your doctor in-person, Americans are more likely to, about 92 per cent, compared to 68 per cent of Canadians.
The survey between August 8 and August 10 involved 2,279 Canadians and has a margin of error of +/- 2 per cent 19 times out of 20.
