RED FM News Desk
December 23, 2025
A new province-wide poll suggests many Ontarians are waiting months to access specialist care and diagnostic tests, a delay respondents say is adding stress and potentially worsening health outcomes.
According to the survey by Abacus Data, one in three Ontarians reported waiting longer than six months to see a specialist or receive a diagnostic test. Another 37 per cent said their wait fell between three and six months, meaning the majority experienced delays well beyond what the health system considers appropriate.
Ontario Health guidelines indicate patients with non-urgent conditions should typically receive diagnostic imaging within a window of two to 28 days, depending on medical priority — a benchmark the poll suggests is rarely being met for many residents.
National data points to a broader problem. The Canadian Institute for Health Information has reported that diagnostic imaging wait times across Canada remain longer than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting ongoing strain within the health-care system.
The poll was commissioned by the Ontario College of Family Physicians, which represents more than 18,000 family doctors and medical students across the provincelong waits for tests and specialists leave many ontarians frustrated: poll. The organization is advocating for a centralized, digital referral system that would allow family physicians to track, manage, and prioritize patient referrals based on urgency.
Support for that proposal appears overwhelming. Ninety-five per cent of respondents said they favour a modernized referral system — an idea also endorsed by the Ontario Medical Association in 2023.
The survey questioned 1,500 Ontario residents between Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. The Canadian Research Insights Council notes that online polls do not carry a traditional margin of error because participants are not randomly selected.
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