Same-day service to see a doctor? Not likely, report finds

A new report has found more than half of Ontarians cannot get same-day or next-day appointments with their primary care providers when they are ill.

Health Quality Ontario's report on quality in primary care found that only 44 per cent of Ontarians were able to access same-day or next-day appointments with their family physicians or other primary care providers.

“The health minister and this government need to take responsibility for failing Ontarians so badly,” said NDP health critic France Gélinas in a press release. “The Liberals should focus on doing their job and making it easier for families to get an appointment with a primary care provider. Instead, this government is too busy fighting doctors and laying off hundreds of nurses from our hospitals, which does nothing to improve care.”

Gélinas has called for better access to family doctors and primary care providers, especially in Northern Ontario, where the report showed there is less access to primary care than in other parts of the province.

“When your child is sick, you should be able to make an appointment to see your family physician or nurse practitioner the same day. It’s not too much to expect,” she said. “But for too many families across Ontario, that’s just not possible. The Liberals have watched this problem grow and now access to primary care in Ontario lags behind other parts of the world. It’s unacceptable ...”