A new survey conducted by Ipsos showed that less than half of Canadians are happy with the healthcare system in their province, and the majority believe that private entities can deliver faster services.

The growing dissatisfaction with the Canadian healthcare system became clear during the pandemic when hospitals experienced increased healthcare worker burnout and mass displacement across the country.

Canada has been plagued by the need for effective healthcare in recent years, with many Canadians saying that wait times for emergency room visits and finding a family doctor are too long.

The Ipsos survey also showed that issues related to publicly funded healthcare have driven the concept of private companies running services more positively, with increased belief that they can provide faster services compared to public institutions.

The study, conducted by the survey agency on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute, showed that 48 percent of Canadians are dissatisfied with the country's healthcare system. The survey was published on April 6, 2023.

The results were lower among women (43 percent), residents of Atlantic Canada (25 percent), as well as among residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (34 percent).

Similarly, Ipsos conducted the survey between March 17 and 20, speaking with 1,164 Canadians aged 18 and over.

Like previous surveys, four out of ten people (38 percent) believe that healthcare investments made in the past decade have had no impact on the system, with around 30 percent thinking that the healthcare system has actually deteriorated during the same period.

Doubt about the system is higher in Atlantic provinces (46 percent) compared to British Columbia (24 percent), Alberta (30 percent), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (38 percent), Ontario (31 percent), and Quebec (24 percent).

Eastern coastal provinces have struggled to retain professionals and manage public healthcare over the past few years. The crisis worsened with physician and nurse burnout, in some cases leading to people not receiving the care they need.

The government of P.E.I. said in February that hundreds of staff and $100 million are needed to positively impact the healthcare system in the province.

The Progressive Conservative government in Ontario is also trying to implement more private sector partners in the provincial healthcare system, a move critics say is a step towards fully privatizing healthcare, although the government has repeatedly opposed the idea of healthcare privatization.

The Ipsos survey found that about 52 percent of Canadians agree on the need to increase access to private healthcare, and 54 percent of Canadians believe government spending on healthcare is unsustainable. Quebec residents are more likely (64 percent) to think spending is unsustainable.

Also, most Quebec residents (69 percent) approved their provincial government's proposal to open two "small" hospitals run by private companies. According to Ipsos, Quebec residents say their healthcare system is "too bureaucratic" (83 percent) and the system should be more decentralized (72 percent), both issues exceeding the national average.

The Ipsos survey shows Alberta residents are divided regarding health spending accounts, a program that provides credits to pay for or increase expenses for health, vision, or dental care not covered by the government.

About 42 percent agree, 38 percent disagree, and 20 percent say they do not know about the policy.