Canada emergency room wait times increase amid primary care shortages

Emergency department wait times in Canada are increasing due to systemic pressures, including limited access to primary care and shortages in long-term and acute care beds. Data indicates that emergency department visits rose to 16.1 million in 2024–2025, a nearly 4 percent increase from the previous year. Furthermore, the number of patients waiting 10 hours or more for emergency services has risen by 28 percent since 2018/19.

In Quebec, the median stay in an emergency room has increased by 41 minutes since 2018, reaching a median of 5 hours and 12 minutes. While Matane Hospital reports one of the lower median stays at 3 hours and 24 minutes, other areas face significant delays, such as Laval with a median of 7 hours and 49 minutes. The Albert-Prévost pavilion in Montreal, specializing in mental health, recorded the longest duration at 14 hours and 23 minutes.

Despite a steady increase in the absolute and per capita supply of physicians over the last decade, access to care remains a challenge. Nearly one in five Canadian adults reports not having a regular healthcare provider. Research suggests that while the number of family physicians has grown in provinces like Ontario and Alberta, the average number of service days per physician has declined, and physicians are working fewer average weekly hours compared to previous decades.