Half of Canadians Say They Avoided Medical Care Over Wait-Time Concerns: Poll

An ambulance drives past a medical centre in Winnipeg on June 15, 2023. The Canadian Press/David Lipnowski

Half of Canadians say they have avoided visiting a hospital or doctor because they did not believe they would receive timely treatment, according to a recent poll.

The Leger poll found that 50 percent of respondents had avoided seeking medical attention for this reason, while 47 percent said they had not, and 3 percent were unsure.

Three groups were more likely to report avoiding care: women, at 59 percent; Canadians under 55, at 55 percent; and Quebec residents, at 56 percent.

The poll was jointly commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), SecondStreet.org and the Canadian Constitution Foundation. Leger surveyed 1,510 Canadians aged 18 and older online from Oct. 16 to 18, 2026.

The survey also found that 84 percent of respondents said the health-care system where they live needs at least some changes. More than half, or 58 percent, said major changes are needed, while 26 percent said minor changes are required.

Another 10 percent said the system does not need changes beyond additional public funding, while 6 percent were unsure.

“When people avoid seeking medical attention for a health issue, it doesn’t just magically go away,” Colin Craig, president of SecondStreet.org, said in an Oct. 29 press release on the findings. “The fact that so many patients avoid seeking help clearly shows that our government-run healthcare monopoly is no longer able to guarantee access to care.”

The poll also found that 27 percent of respondents had paid for private health-care services to avoid long wait times or unsatisfactory services in the public system. In Quebec, the figure was 46 percent.

More than six in 10 Canadians, or 61 percent, said patients should be allowed to pay out of pocket or use extended health insurance to obtain surgery at local private clinics if they cannot receive timely care in the public system. Support for the option was highest in Quebec, at 68 percent.

“These results show that Canadians are much more open to health reform than the public discourse would lead you to imagine,” Christine Van Geyn, interim executive director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, said in the release.