Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic turned Canada’s healthcare system upside down, a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reveals a troubling reality.
Wait times for critical surgeries and diagnostic tests remain stubbornly high, leaving millions of Canadians in pain and uncertainty.
Canada’s healthcare crisis worsens as Cancer treatment delays grow, with longer waits for radiation and surgeries
Despite a rebound in the number of procedures performed, patients are waiting longer for hip and knee replacements, cataract surgeries, cancer treatments, and diagnostic imaging like MRIs and CT scans.
An aging population, growing healthcare demands, and persistent workforce shortages are pushing the system to its limits.
This in-depth article explores the CIHI’s findings, the factors driving these delays, and what Canada must do to fix its strained healthcare system.
Table of Contents
A Healthcare System Under Pressure
The CIHI’s June 12, 2025, report paints a stark picture of Canada’s post-COVID healthcare landscape.
While the country has made strides in clearing surgical backlogs caused by the pandemic, wait times for priority procedures, such as joint replacements, cataract surgeries, cancer treatments, and diagnostic imaging, have not returned to pre-2019 levels.
The data, covering April to September 2024 across all 10 provinces (excluding territories), shows that despite increased surgical volumes, the system is struggling to keep up with rising demand.
“Health systems are grappling with multiple challenges, including an aging and growing population, rising demand for procedures, and health workforce shortages,” the CIHI stated.
These factors have created a perfect storm, where even a surge in scheduled surgeries isn’t enough to reduce wait times for patients desperate for care.
The Numbers Tell a Grim Story
The CIHI report tracks wait times against national benchmarks set in 2004 by Canada’s health ministers for priority procedures.
These benchmarks aim to ensure timely access to care, but the 2024 data shows significant gaps:
Hip and Knee Replacements: The benchmark for these surgeries is 182 days (six months).
In 2019, 75% of hip replacements and 70% of knee replacements met this target.
By 2024, only 68% of hip replacements and 61% of knee replacements were completed within six months, despite a 26% increase in hip replacements (28,000 vs. 22,000 in 2019) and a 20% rise in knee replacements (42,000 vs. 35,000).
Cataract Surgeries: With a benchmark of 112 days, cataract surgeries have nearly recovered, with 69% meeting the target in 2024 compared to 70% in 2019.
Volumes grew 11% over 2019, but the slight improvement masks regional disparities.
Cancer Treatments: Radiation therapy, with a 28-day benchmark, saw a 3% drop in patients treated on time (94% in 2024 vs. 97% in 2019).
Cancer surgeries for breast, bladder, colorectal, and lung cancers saw median wait times increase by 1–5 days, while prostate cancer surgery waits grew by 9 days to a median of 50 days.
Fewer prostate cancer surgeries were performed in 2024 than in 2019.
Hip Fracture Repairs: The urgent 48-hour benchmark was met by 83% of patients in 2024, down from 86% in 2019.
Diagnostic Imaging: Median wait times for MRIs rose from 34 days in 2019 to 49 days in 2024 (a 15-day increase), and CT scans increased from 14 to 17 days (a 3-day increase).
Despite a 16% rise in scan volumes, demand outpaces capacity.
These delays aren’t just numbers. They represent real suffering.
Patients waiting for joint replacements endure chronic pain, limited mobility, and reliance on medications, while those awaiting cancer treatment face heightened anxiety and worsening health outcomes.
The Human Cost of Waiting
Behind the statistics are stories of real Canadians enduring pain and uncertainty.
For those awaiting hip or knee replacements, daily activities like walking or climbing stairs become agonizing.
Cataract patients face blurred vision, impacting their independence.
Cancer patients, like those waiting for prostate surgery, grapple with the fear of disease progression.
Diagnostic delays for MRIs and CT scans can postpone critical diagnoses, worsening outcomes.
Solutions to Break the Bottleneck
The CIHI report and healthcare experts propose several strategies to address the crisis:
Streamlined Booking and Intake: Adopting single-entry models, where patients join a centralized queue for specialists, could improve efficiency by 20–30%.
This approach, likened to Walmart’s single checkout line, ensures patients see the first available provider.
Prioritizing Wait Lists: Monitoring wait lists to prioritize patients based on health status and surgical readiness can optimize resources.
Expanding Day Surgeries: Shifting more procedures, like cataracts and joint replacements, to outpatient settings can free up hospital beds.
In 2023–2024, day surgeries increased by 10% compared to 2019.
Leveraging Private Clinics: Some provinces have partnered with private facilities to perform low-risk surgeries, boosting capacity while adhering to the Canada Health Act.
British Columbia’s use of private clinics in 2020 increased operating room hours by 3.5%.
Addressing Workforce Shortages: Recruiting and retaining healthcare workers through better working conditions, competitive salaries, and innovative roles like physician assistants could alleviate staffing constraints.
Public Reporting and Transparency: Expanding wait-time reporting beyond priority procedures could drive accountability and momentum for change.
Dr. Pierre Guy advocates for innovative approaches, such as increasing day surgeries and hiring physician assistants to support surgeons.
“We should start thinking more broadly than just the simple model of doctors and nurses,” he said.
The Road Ahead: A Call to Action
Canada’s healthcare system stands at a crossroads.
While surgical volumes have rebounded, wait times for hip and knee replacements, cancer treatments, and diagnostic imaging remain longer than pre-COVID levels.
An aging population, rising demand, and workforce shortages threaten to deepen the crisis without bold action.
The CIHI’s findings underscore the urgency of reform.
By streamlining processes, leveraging private capacity, and investing in the healthcare workforce, Canada can reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes.
For now, patients like those awaiting joint replacements or cancer treatment continue to bear the burden of a strained system.
How Canadians Can Navigate the Healthcare Crisis
For those facing long wait times:
Check Wait Times: Use CIHI’s Wait Times tool or provincial resources like Ontario Health’s wait times web pages to estimate delays in your area.
Advocate for Yourself: Communicate with your healthcare provider about your condition to potentially expedite care.
Explore Alternatives: Discuss outpatient or private clinic options with your doctor, ensuring compliance with public funding rules.
Stay Informed: Follow updates from CIHI and health authorities to understand regional trends and advocate for systemic change.
Stay updated with CTC News
