By Gazette Staff
December 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Today the Fraser Institute published Waiting Your Turn, their annual survey of physicians across Canada regarding medical treatment wait times.
The study reports a median wait time of 28.6 weeks — the second longest ever recorded.
Shorter than the 30 weeks reported last year and 208% higher than in 1993, when we began tracking wait times.
Remarkably long wait times for medically necessary care have become the defining characteristic of the Canadian health care experience.
See the provincial numbers here, and be sure to help spread this important news on social media.
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian independent, free-market think tank founded in 1974, dedicated to promoting policies that improve quality of life through limited government, private enterprise, and individual choice, focusing on areas like education, healthcare, taxation, and natural resources, using data-driven research to influence policy via publications, media, and educational programs, funded by private donations rather than government grants
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Pepper, I had an MRI scan done at Hamilton General Hospital last year that was booked at 2:00AM ( I was scheduled in one week). If I wanted to wait for a 8-5pm time I would have had to wait for months.
Some people would say 2:00AM is crazy. It was wonderful. There was no traffic getting to the hospital. We parked right at the door of Hamilton General. There was no cost for parking and the hospital was quiet.
It was great.
This is what Joseph Brant should be doing.
Patients can wait for months to get a CT Scan at Joseph Brant Hospital. How the system works at Joseph Brant is as follows. The physician referral goes to the radiology department. This department decides on the urgency of the scan and books patients accordingly.
I know of two people who are waiting for CT Scans at Joseph Brant Hospital. One has been waiting for about 4 months. The other is urgent and has to date waited 3 weeks for a new medical problem. The same person has been waiting close to a year for a hip replacement surgery date (after waiting for months to see a surgeon). The date was finally set for January but the surgery cannot be done until the more urgent medical issue is dealt with.
Perhaps one of the reason is that Joseph Brant Hospital unlike some hospitals in Hamilton does not provide 7 day 24 hour appointments for scans. Many clinics at Joseph Brant are closed on Saturday and Sunday. WHY? Perhaps budget constraints and lack of staff.
Some people complain about private clinics that accept OHIP payment for certain services. If you need a CT or MRI scan and cannot get an appointment these clinics are available instead of going to Buffalo. Keep the money in Canada.
Greater Niagara Imaging Centre has clinics in Hamilton and Mississauga where you can have these procedures done quickly. CT’s and MRI’s are covered by OHIP. They are open 6 days a week from 8am-8pm. You need a physician’s referral. One clinic indicates that you can get a CT Scan without an appointment if you are prepared to wait for 2 hours. I would check this out by calling the clinic.
The government does not have the money to keep building new hospitals. As you know the situation will get worse as the baby boomers age. These private clinics fill the gap. When that generation passes the need for medical care will probably decrease..
The clinics, which are privately owned, will be the ones who will have to deal with the lack of patients and will close.
It is a win/win in my opinion.
Editor’s note: You’re going to the wrong hospital. I had a cat scan done at 11:45 PM at St.Joe’s in Hamilton.
I’m not impressed with wait times in Ontario, but if these stats are correct, I’d hate to live in any other province. Nowhere in Canada is making progress on seeing a specialist.
Looks like Ontario is best in class here.
Make that “least worst in class”.