I dunno what’s the situation in the other provinces, but I remember in Quebec that there were walk-in clinics before.

Now they all need to be scheduled through a system that if you’re not fast enough (between a specific time slot where the appointment for the next day are opening up) you cannot get a time slot.

You’re doubly-screwed if you’re not comfortable using a computer, and calling 8-1-1 will make you wait for up to an hour before you even get to talk to someone about your issue and determine if you need an appointment.

The ER is the healthcare system safety valve, but it can only eject so much pressure before it becomes a bomb.

This is something keeping me from returning to Canada.

I live in France now. Looking at the ranking linked in the article I see that it doesn’t score very well here either. This is shocking because I find it so much better here in terms of health care. Today, for example, my son was unwell. At 8:30 we called and were given an appointment for 9:15. By 9:30 we had seen a doctor and had a blood test. By the end of the day I was emailed the results. This is the type of experience I’ve had again and again here.

The last time I was home, my partner waited 5 hours in agony in a waiting room. It took us 6 hours to find an clinic or ER that would take us. We drove over 200 km. When all was said and done, they charged us over $900 just to see a doctor. The doctor’s bill was separate.

I cannot even fathom what things must be like in countries that rank higher.

I really hope Canada can find a solution. It should not be like this in any developed country. In fact, it should not be like this in any country.

Back when I was in school, there were at least 3 people in my grade ( of like 30 kids) that both wanted to become a doctor and had the grades to probably do it. Not a single one of them was able to afford the schooling.

Canada really needs to do more for potential medical students. Why is the most important industry gatekept by wealth?