2 B.C. cities have the longest average wait times for walk-in clinics in Canada
The average wait time for walk-in clinics in British Columbia is more than double the national average, according to online clinic tracker Medimap.
British Columbians had to wait an average of 79 minutes before they could see a doctor at a walk-in clinic in 2022.
That total is more than double the national average of 37 minutes last year.
In 2022, B.C.'s average wait time to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic rose 21 minutes compared to the 2021, and 37 minutes compared to 2020.
"The drastic increase in average wait times at walk-in clinics provides further evidence that healthcare systems across the country are struggling to provide adequate care," said Medimap CEO Thomas Jankowski in a release Wednesday.
In two B.C. cities, the average wait time to meet with a doctor at a walk-in clinic was over two hours.
The longest wait time is in North Vancouver, where residents have to wait an average of 160 minutes, or two hours and 40 minutes, to speak with a doctor.
The second longest wait time is in Victoria, where patients have to wait 137 minutes, or two hours and 17 minutes, according to Medimap.
Average walk-in clinic wait times for 2022 are shown. (Medimap)Comparatively, Ontario is the province with the shortest wait time to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic.
In 2022, the average wait time was 25 minutes in Ontario, which still marked an increase of about 10 minutes compared to 2021.
The shortest wait time to access a doctor at a walk-in clinic in B.C. is in Richmond, according to Medimap, where the average wait time is about 31 minutes.
Nova Scotia was the province with the highest average wait time in Canada for 2022, with residents having to wait an average of 83 minutes to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic.
However, B.C. is still home to the top two cities with the longest average wait times in all of Canada in North Vancouver and Victoria.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.