Wait times. Position Statement.

2005 Dec 19
College of Family Physicians of Canada.

All Canadians should be given an opportunity to have a family doctor to ensure universal access to medically necessary health care services.  Each province/territory must ensure care is provided for its population within the pan-Canadian wait times benchmarks and targets.  Standardized pan-Canadian criteria defining eligibility of patients to be entered onto wait lists must be developed by an expert panel, including family physicians. The CFPC supports a single payer publicly funded health care system for all medically necessary services for all Canadians. Patients and their physicians must understand that to be added to waiting lists that are guided by benchmarked wait times, patients must first meet pan-Canadian, standardized eligibility criteria.