iN NUMBERS: Waiting for healthcare in B.C. versus U.S. and U.K.

British Columbians generally have to wait longer for a doctor than Canadians in most other provinces.

Statistics Canada surveyed people about how long they had to wait to see a doctor in 2024, here’s how those wait times stacked up against the private system in the U.S. and the public system in the U.K.

Here are the numbers:

• 30: Per cent of British Columbians were able to see a medical specialist within a month.
• 31: Per cent of British Columbians saw a medical specialist between one and three months.
• 41.6: Per cent of Quebecers saw a medical specialist within a month, the highest rate in the country.
• 34: Per cent of Canadians could see a doctor within a month.
• 19: Days was the average wait time to see a general practitioner in North Yorkshire, U.K.
• 70: Days was the average wait time to see a doctor in Boston, the longest average wait out of 253 U.S. cities.
• 27: Days was the average wait for a doctor in Houston, the shortest average wait in the U.S.
• 48: Per cent of people being treated for mental health conditions in Canada saw a doctor within a month, the highest rate for the types of care surveyed.
• 34: Per cent of people seeking treatment for a breathing condition saw a doctor within a month, the lowest rate for the types of care surveyed.