Lack of family doctor doubles cancer diagnostic difficulty: poll

A new poll reveals a stark reality that one in five Canadians lack a family doctor, making them more than twice as likely to struggle with early cancer screenings and non-emergency medical care.

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A new poll reveals a stark reality that one in five Canadians lack a family doctor, making them more than twice as likely to struggle with early cancer screenings and non-emergency medical care.

A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute, conducted in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, found that 19 per cent of Canadians do not have a family doctor, and another 30 per cent have a doctor but find it difficult to get an appointment.

The study also found that a lack of access to a family doctor has a “rippling effect” on access to other parts of Canada’s health-care system.

More than a quarter of Canadians, 26 per cent, report “chronic difficulty” accessing health care, while a third of respondents said they face “some challenges.” Only 16 per cent said they were comfortable accessing health care in the last six months.

Of those with a family doctor, 31 per cent found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to book an appointment for early detection or cancer screening. In stark contrast, 76 per cent of those without a family doctor reported difficulty accessing the same service within the last six months.

Similarly, 30 per cent of those with a doctor reported difficulty accessing non-emergency treatment in the last six months, compared to 74 per cent of those without a family doctor.

For any diagnostic test, 60 per cent of respondents without a family doctor reported difficulty, compared to 35 per cent of those with regular access to a doctor. Similarly, 78 per cent of Canadians without a doctor said it was difficult to get an appointment with a specialist, compared to 55 per cent of those with doctors who also reported difficulty.

Last year in July, an Ontario doctor revealed he referred a patient to an ear, nose and throat specialist only to be given a three-year wait time.

Nine per cent of those surveyed said they were personally diagnosed with cancer. Over a quarter (26 per cent) of Canadians with cancer said they had to travel outside of their communities for treatment.

The survey also found that among those whose friends or family had to travel for out-of-community cancer treatment, 71 per cent said the experience impacted their loved ones’ mental health. In comparison, 62 per cent said it affected the patient’s finances.

While Canada faces continued doctor shortages, long wait times, and a poor overall ranking in healthcare compared to other universal healthcare systems globally, doctors are calling out barriers that prevent Canadians and immigrant doctors from becoming licensed in Canada.

Canada also faces retention issues with over a third of immigrant healthcare workers leaving Canada within five years of arriving, with advocates again citing red tape and licensing barriers.