Canada rates worst on health care waiting times

November 15, 2007

Free Market Foundation

Canada has the worst rating in a new study of health care in seven countries when it comes to wait times for seeing doctors and getting elective surgery, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

According to the Fund:

Only 22 per cent of Canadians surveyed say they could get a same-day appointment when they’re sick.

30 per cent by far the highest among the countries say they had to wait six days or more.

Some 15 per cent reported waits of six months or more for non-emergency surgery.

Two-thirds reported having a lot of difficulty getting care at night, on weekends or holidays.

According to the fund, 60 per cent of Canadians think their system needs fundamental changes; 12 per cent said it should be rebuilt completely.

Source: Canada rates worst on health-care waiting times among 7 countries, Canadian Press, November 1, 2007; based upon: Cathy Schoen et al., Toward Higher-Performance Health Systems: Adults’ Health Care Experiences in Seven Countries, 2007, Commonwealth Fund, Vol. 92, November 1, 2007.

For text: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPbYVeUVRjjion5W3jDWs8ITKl-Q

For survey: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=568237

For more on Health Issues: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=16

FMF Policy Bulletin/ 06 November 2007