Canada's Primary Care System in Crisis: A National Call for Reform

Strategic Insights -

As a family doctor for over two decades, Dr. Tara Kiran recalls the hope she felt choosing her career path in 2002. However, she now sees a heartbreaking reality: over 6.5 million people in Canada lack a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner, and those who do often face difficulty getting appointments. The primary care system, meant to be the front door to healthcare, is failing its people. Yet, there is a chance to change this.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 6.5 million people in Canada do not have a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner, with many more facing difficulty accessing appointments.
  • The OurCare Standard, a people-powered vision for primary care in Canada, aims to create a system where everyone has a relationship with a primary care clinician, receives ongoing care, and can access their health record online.
  • The OurCare Standard consists of six key statements: having a relationship with a primary care clinician, ongoing care, community and social services support, online access to health records, culturally safe care, and an accountable system.
  • A new national survey, launched by OurCare, aims to assess how close Canada is to achieving the OurCare Standard.
  • The survey will collect data on various aspects of primary care, including appointment availability, language services, and out-of-pocket expenses.
  • The OurCare national survey is open to all people in Canada aged 18 and over and can be completed online until July 9 at OurCare.ca/survey.

Statistics:

  • Over 6.5 million people in Canada lack a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner.
  • Nearly 10,000 people participated in the OurCare public conversation about primary care, sharing their experiences and hopes for the future through a national survey, citizen panels, and community discussions.
  • The OurCare survey will gather data on various areas of primary care, including:

+ Appointment availability: How easy it is to get an appointment with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

+ Language services: Whether patients can access care in a language that meets their needs.

+ Out-of-pocket expenses: How often patients have to pay out-of-pocket for care.

+ Postal code: How a person's location affects their access to primary care.

Sources:

  • Dr. Tara Kiran, "Why We Need a People-Powered Vision for Canada's Primary Care System," [Source link with title and publication date]
  • OurCare.ca, "OurCare Standard"
  • OurCare.ca, "2025 OurCare National Survey"