A Fraser Institute study found little improvement in overall wait times for Canadian patients from doctor referral to treatment.
Results showed they waited almost 29 weeks, which is the second longest ever recorded.
The annual study is based on a survey of physicians across Canada, and looks at the time between a referral from a general practitioner to treatment in 12 medical specialties, including several types of surgery.
There was some improvement from the overall numbers in last year’s study, which recorded wait times of 30 weeks. When looking at individual provinces, five provinces saw wait times rise.
Ontario recorded the shortest median wait time at just over 19 weeks.
New Brunswick recorded the longest at almost 61 weeks, and Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia patients waited around 49 weeks.
Among the longest national median wait times for specialty treatments are those for neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery.
There are also long wait times for diagnostic scans, including CT and MRI scans, and ultrasounds.
| PROVINCE | 2024 | 2025 | PROVINCE | 2024 | 2025 |
| British Columbia | 29.5 | 32.2 | Quebec | 28.9 | 32.5 |
| Alberta | 38.4 | 36.0 | New Brunswick | 69.4 | 60.9 |
| Saskatchewan | 37.2 | 34.8 | Nova Scotia | 39.1 | 49.0 |
| Manitoba | 37.9 | 39.1 | P.E.I. | 77.4 | 49.7 |
| Ontario | 23.6 | 19.2 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 43.2 | 43.5 |
