Poll Suggests Long Wait Times Led Half of Canadians to Avoid Going to the Hospital
The survey also found 61% support paying for private care when public services are not timely, and 84% say the system needs change.
- A new poll released today indicates long wait times lead half of Canadians to avoid consulting a physician or visiting a hospital.
- The survey, conducted from Oct. 16 to 19, 2026, and commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute, SecondStreet, and the Canadian Constitution Foundation, found 84 per cent of respondents believe their local health care system requires change.
- Women, people over 55, and Quebecers are most likely to avoid seeking care, though it remains unclear when individuals first began avoiding these services.
- To bypass delays, 61 per cent of Canadians support using insurance or paying out of pocket for private care, while 27 per cent have already paid for private health services.
- The Canadian Research Insights Council, the polling industry's professional body, warns that online survey results cannot be assigned a margin of error due to lack of random sampling.
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17 Articles
Bowen Island Undercurrent
Western InvestorPoll suggests long wait times led half of Canadians to avoid going to the hospital
MONTREAL — A new poll suggests long wait times lead half of Canadians to avoid seeing a doctor or going to the hospital. The poll was conducted by Léger and commissioned by right-leaning think-tanks the Montreal Economic Institute, SecondStreet.
Emergency room delays: Half of Quebecers forgo seeing a doctor
Wait times in the country’s emergency rooms have become so long that 50 per cent of Canadians have given up on seeing a doctor or going to the emergency room. This rate climbs to 56 per cent in Quebec. A new Léger poll commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), the Canadian research organization SecondStreet.org […]
lechodelarivenord.ca
Acadie NouvelleThe waiting time in the country's emergency rooms has become such that 50% of Canadians have given up consulting a public health clinic.
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- 59% of the sources lean Left
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