Waits at B.C. walk-in clinics longest in country: data
Roughly one million British Columbians don't have a family doctor and data compiled by a technology company that monitors wait times at family clinics shows they're spending more time queued up, with one city experiencing an average wait of more than two and half hours.
Medimap tracks waits at more than 1,200 clinics across six provinces. It found in 2021, people in B.C. — on average — waited 58 minutes. That's more than double the national average of 25 minutes.
Average waits in Victoria were the longest across Canada, at two hours and 41 minutes.
Blake Adam, CEO of Medimap said B.C. also lagged behind other provinces in other ways.
"We saw an average drop of wait times between 2019 and 2021 of like 20 per cent in all the other provinces, in B.C. we saw it increased by 35 per cent. So huge difference," said Adam.
Adam said that was surprising, because virtual visits increased during the pandemic.
B.C. is now encouraging doctors to do more in-person visits, adding even more pressure to the health-care system.
Premier John Horgan acknowledged the issue came down to supply and demand.
"One hundred thousand more people came to British Columbia last year and that puts a strain on not just health-care, it puts a strain on childcare, education, housing," he said at a news conference in Victoria.
That doesn't explain why Ontario — which saw waits decrease by eleven minutes on average — had 200,000 more people move to the province in 2021.
The province is providing more funding for Victoria to reduce waits, and is adding more urgent and primary care centres across the province.
"Definitely not a bad thing that there's another place that people can go to get access to care, but you know, like most clinics, they're strained," said Adam.
For years, Horgan and other premiers have argued that Ottawa needs to give provinces billions more in funding for health-care in the form of transfers, so services can be built up, and a trip to the doctor's office isn't so painful.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.