As we move into 2025, our core mission at The Health Insider is, as always, to help the 6.5 million Canadians who are left without a family doctor. This is a challenging time for many, especially those dealing with illness or chronic health issues in the absence of a primary care physician.
Always on the alert for to how to assist, we reached out to our members of The Health Insider, numbering in the tens of thousands, via a survey in June.
We asked one very simple question: How did you find your new family doctor?
Amazingly, nearly 50% of respondents ended up finding family doctors and were willing to share the details. Our wish is that by crowdsourcing advice, Health Insiders can help others who hold little hope.
Tips on Finding Family Doctors
Let’s be clear. There’s a real reason why people are expending valuable time and energy finding family doctors – because it truly does matter to your health.
The impact of not having access to a family physician is far-reaching. When people are navigating their healthcare without a family doctor, cancers may go undetected, important screenings and checkups are easily missed. There is no coordination of your healthcare, no quarterback, nobody to refer you to specialists or requisition and monitor blood results and health changes, especially if you’re on medication, which may be difficult to get refilled.
Additionally, as was recently reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information,1 in 7 Canadians turn to already overburdened emergency departments to treat minor ailments that could have been treated by a family doctor.
Not surprisingly, we found that people often asked friends, family, other medical practitioners and even people they have never met for recommendations. Many found their new doctor through being treated at a walk-in clinic and some have had success with their local or provincial doctor registry.
Like so many things in life, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The majority of people who have found a new family doctor did so through being relentless, creative and persistent. This hard work is easier said than done if you are ill; you may need an advocate on board to do the leg work on your behalf.
The people who responded to our survey gave us some invaluable tips on finding family doctors. We’ve narrowed them down to three categories with essential tips that have reaped results. Read on for tips from your Health Insider community.
Elbow Grease
“Consistency. I was told by my retiring physician to be dedicated in my search. I called several doctors’ offices (that were of interest tome) each week and one of those calls worked in my favour.”
“It was very difficult to find a doctor. I made numerous phone calls and also went door to door in my hometown and neighbouring town to all doctors’ offices asking if they were taking new patients and if not if they knew of any doctors that were. After all that I found a family doctor.”
“I put my name on every waiting list that every local clinic and doctor had set up. Some had over 200 people on the lists, but I finally got a call from a new Dr. from England and I did hear back from 1 other list as well. It took over 7 months.”
Friends and Family
“I live in a condo and asked online if anyone in the building could help. One person responded and I am now signed up with his doctor.”
“My doctor closed her practice with 3 months’ notice and although she was in a Family Health Team none of the other doctors were able to take on her patients. I asked many friends for their doctors’ names and called all their offices. Some told me to call back in a few weeks, but many didn’t even take or return my call. None would accept me on a wait list. Finally, a friend who is a family doctor told me about a new doctor starting in her clinic and had them put me on the list. I worry about those people with fewer resources than I have.”
“I contacted > 30 physicians and family practices to no avail before a family member convinced his doctor to take me on. My previous doctor left the family practice and went to a boutique clinic charging patients $5000 per year.”
“It was sheer luck that I found a doctor taking patients. I had told everyone our family doctor was retiring, including people I only knew on a casual basis, and it was one of these people who said she had seen a sign in a clinic window “accepting new patients”. I went over that afternoon and got on the waiting list…only had to wait 3 months and feel so fortunate.”
“My doctor of over 20 years retired last year. Before she retired, she had tried for over a year to find a doctor that would take on her practice; but was unsuccessful. I contacted many Doctors’ offices, and most informed me they had many, many hundreds of names on wait lists that they knew they would never get to. I was very fortunate that my husband’s physician agreed to take me on.”
“We were very fortunate in that a friend of a friend (someone I didn’t know) happened to mention that a family member was a family doc. I asked her to ask her friend to ask the doc if she would consider us. Felt like I had won the lottery when the doc said they would accept us.”
Another Healthcare Provider, Walk-In Clinics and Registries
“I was lucky to chat with another healthcare provider who suggested a clinic after my doctor closed her clinic and I got in very quickly! However, the care is hard to come by as they are downtown, a bit out of my way, and I am not allowed to go to a walk-in clinic if they cannot accommodate me on short notice.”
“My local Pharmacist gave us a short list of Family Physicians accepting a limited number of new patients.”
“I was notified of my new doctor through my naturopath. This doctor is 45 mins from my home.”
“New doctors in the city where I live are working in the Walk-In Clinics, by booking walk-in appointments, only. To become a Roster patient, you have to wait outside over night before the clinic opens in hopes of being the first 100 in line to get a doctor.”
“During my Covid vaccination the person administering the dose was dr and accepted me to their practice.”
“I was visiting a clinic one day two weeks ago regarding my blood pressure medication. I mentioned to the doctor that mine had retired over a year ago. On the spot he said to me “I’ll be your doctor. That was it!”
“We waited a year for a new doctor after ours retired. Luckily for us the pharmacist and receptionist at the clinic were looking out for us and let us know when the new doctor came in.”
“Local registry listing doctors taking on new patients. Once you’ve found a few, look into the reviews on them. Last thing you want is to grab the first doctor only to find your goals and personalities don’t mesh.”
“I started using provincial registry but many of the clinics I called that stated were taking new clients were actually not. So, registry is not up to date. Called about 35 clinics before I found one taking new patients.“
Notable Comments from Our Community
“I have to use Good Doctors, I’m so extremely grateful for them, without them I’d have nothing. I’m a senior with health issues.”
“I willingly paid a private facility to get me a timely appt with a dermatologist and was pleased with the service provided. As a senior I am very concerned about my entire family’s lack of access to a family doctor. It’s been 5+ years and no potential leads. The virtual triage and assessment centre is doing a great job in the meantime. But there is no substitute for a face to face appointment for some health concerns.”
“It is very difficult to find a doctor. Health teams working together with multiple disciplines would be a fantastic solution. Triaging the needs and providing what each patient actually needs.”
“Please do something to encourage physicians to become GP’s. Incentivize them, pay them better, do something to alleviate the mountain of paperwork that they have to deal with on their off time. Perhaps pay their tuition for a guaranteed of x number of years worked as a physician after graduation. Reduce their debt load further if they commit to working in rural areas. They are desperately needed and deserve to earn more than some useless politicians that are only interested in lining their own pockets.”
We hope these insights will help all of you who are still searching for a family doctor. Some Health Insiders have turned to virtual and private care. There is a proliferation of private options appearing throughout Canada. While there is a cost to private care, it offers the benefit of guaranteed access, without delay.
Do you have any tips to share about finding family doctors in Canada? Please let us know by sending an email to info@thehealthinsider.ca.
Best of luck!
~Read more from The Health Insider~
- Canadians Are Finding Family Doctors: Here’s How
If you’re one of the 6.5 million Canadians looking for a new family doctor this must-read article gives valuable tried and tested tips and tricks to aid in your search for a new physician. - Healthcare Without a Family Doctor? Here Are 10 Essential TipsDon’t have a family doctor? It’s important to be proactive: Here are ten things that will help you keep on top of your healthcare while you find your next one!
- Ignored Risk: Bone Scans For People Over 50A fall, a fracture, and an unexpected diagnosis: learn how osteoporosis can strike silently and how to protect your bones.
The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
