BC is doing worse than all western provinces and Ontario when it comes to regular access to a doctor.
According to a report published today / Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 82% of BC’s population has regular access to a primary health provider, below the national average of 83% and the highest in Ontario at 88%. The data is from 2023, and also shows adults ages 18-34 are the most affected.
The data also shows there has been a significant decline in doctor access for Canadians since 2020, and the nation now lags behind the United Kingdom, the United States, and several other western European nations.
It’s estimated there are now 4 million Canadians who do not have access to a primary care provider. Research shows that people who do not have a primary care provider have worse health and higher rates of preventable diseases.
