Access to good quality healthcare remains a problem for Canadians. In fact, according to our recent white paper, “The Changing Role of the Pharmacist”, 19% of Canadians do not have access to a family physician, and this number jumps to 26% amongst 18–54-year-olds.
From January 19 to 21, 2024, we surveyed Canadians to find out about their opinion and perceptions of the healthcare system in Canada.
Download the report to learn more.
Some of the key highlights of our survey about Healthcare in Canada include…
- 28% of Canadians think that the healthcare system in their province is good, while 35% consider it fair, and 37% poor.
- Residents of Alberta (46%) or British Columbia (40%) are more likely to think that the healthcare system in their province is good, while Canadians living in Quebec are more likely to view their healthcare system as poor.
- 70% of Canadians are worried about not being able to receive good-quality medical attention if they need it.
- Looking forward two years from now, 40% of Canadians think that the healthcare system will remain the same, while 36% think it will get worse, and 17% think it will get better.
- Long waits (66%), stressed (42%), and failing (40%) are the top three words that come to mind for Canadians when thinking about the current healthcare system.
- 67% of Canadians think the primary cause of worker shortages in the healthcare system is poor hospital working conditions. This is followed by funding cuts (40%), the COVID-19 pandemic leading to retirements (39%), and low-paying jobs (34%). Quebecers are more likely to attribute the shortages to poor working conditions, with 75% holding this view.
- 70% of Canadians think that the Canadian government should prioritize its efforts on the public healthcare system and restrict the development of private healthcare in the country to ensure that it does not impede access to high-quality services in the public system. However, 52% of Canadians support the idea of retaining the public healthcare system while allowing patients to use their own funds to pay for surgeries or tests at local private clinics.
Methodology
This web survey was conducted from January 19 to 21, 2024, with 1,536 Canadians aged 18 or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,536 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.50%, 19 times out of 20.