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[FREE infographic] 2024 wait times for health care in Canada
By: Benefits by Design | Tuesday February 25, 2025
Updated : Monday February 24, 2025
In 2024, Canadians faced alarming average health care wait times of 30 weeks for specialist treatments. This is compared to the median reasonable wait time of 8.6 weeks from General Practitioner (GP) referral to specialist treatment. On average, Canadians are waiting more than 20 weeks longer for treatment than is medically reasonable, leading to worsening conditions, mental health issues, and potentially compromised medical outcomes. This delay can transform potentially reversible illnesses or injuries into chronic, irreversible conditions, or even permanent disabilities.
In 2023, we compared the last three decades. This year, our infographic provides a comprehensive comparison of wait times from 2014, 2019, and 2024. It highlights the changes in wait times over these five-year segments, offering valuable insights into how much health care wait times have increased during each period.
Download the infographic to explore these trends in detail and understand the factors contributing to the changes in wait times.
2024 Health Care Wait Times in Canada (PDF: 1.3MB)
Provincial wait times
When comparing wait times from 2014, 2019, and 2024, we see a dramatic increase in the most recent five years compared to the previous five. Between 2014 and 2019, wait times increased by a relatively moderate 2.7 weeks. However, from 2019 to 2024, wait times surged by 9.1 weeks, a 70% increase over the previous period.
The Maritimes
Maritime provinces suffer the longest wait times, with Prince Edward Island currently reporting the worst wait times at 77.4 weeks. New Brunswick saw the largest growth since 2019 at an increase of 29.7 weeks. These extended wait times are particularly concerning given the smaller populations and potentially limited healthcare resources in these regions.
Ontario and Quebec
Ontario and Quebec with their larger populations, help bring down the median wait times for all of Canada. However, both provinces have still experienced significant increases in wait times.
Ontario’s median wait time increased from 14.1 weeks in 2014 to 23.6 weeks in 2024, while Quebec saw an increase from 16.9 weeks to 28.9 weeks over the same period. Interestingly, Quebec saw decreases in wait times between 2014 and 2019, by –0.6 and then surged over the pandemic by 12.6 weeks from 2019 to 2024.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba
These provinces were the only two provinces to have a larger increase in wait times from 2014 to 2019 compared to the last five years. Despite this, both provinces still experienced an increase in wait times.
Saskatchewan’s wait times increased by 14.2 weeks in 2014 to 37.2 weeks in 2024, while Manitoba’s wait times went from 20.3 weeks to 27.9 weeks over the same period. This indicates that while the rate of increase has slowed, the overall wait times remain high and continue to grow.
Wait times by specialty
When examining wait times by specialty, orthopaedic surgery and gynaecology saw the most substantial increases. Orthopaedic surgery waits times reached a staggering 57.5 weeks in 2024, while gynaecology waits times increased to 41.3 weeks.
These extended wait times can have severe implications for patients who need timely surgical interventions. For example, delays in orthopaedic surgery can lead to prolonged pain, disability, and comorbidities, significantly impacting quality of life.
Ophthalmology was the one specialty that had the least negative impact, with wait times increasing by only 6.2 weeks from 2014 to 2024. This is a modest increase compared to the other specialties, suggesting that ophthalmology services have been better managed or less affected by the factors contributing to longer wait times in other areas.
Conclusion
The increasing wait times for health care services in Canada are a cause for concern. This data highlights significant disparities between provinces and specialties, with some regions and medical fields being more adversely affected than others. The prolonged wait times not only impact the physical health of Canadians but also their mental well-being, as the uncertainty and delays can lead to increased stress and anxiety. As we move forward, it is crucial to prioritize holistic, preventative care, and come together to ensure Canadians can get timely access to necessary medical treatments and diagnostic tests.
For a detailed breakdown of these statistics and more, download the full infographic.
2024 Health Care Wait Times in Canada (PDF: 1.3MB)
