Nova Scotia has longest health care wait times in Canada: Fraser Institute

By CityNews Halifax Staff

A report outlines that Nova Scotians face the longest wait times for health care in the entire country.

That data comes from a study released this morning from the Fraser Institute.

The annual survey from doctors across Canada showed that, on average, Nova Scotians wait 56.7 weeks for access to health care, which is almost double the national average of 27.7 weeks.

The good news is that the average wait time actually dropped by 1.5 weeks from 2022.

Residents in Prince Edward Island face the second longest wait times at 55.2 weeks followed by New Brunswick at 52.6.

The study examines the total wait times faced by patients across 12 medical specialties from referral by a general practitioner to consultation with a specialist, to when the patient ultimately receives treatment.

More than 1,200 responses were received in the survey across 12 specialties and from ten provinces.