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New data suggests wait times for walk-in clinics in B.C. are double that in Alberta and Ontario.

With cold and flu season in full swing, wait times in walk-in clinics around the country are increasing. 

The Medimap clinic wait time index found seven of the 10 worst Canadian cities for wait times are in B.C. The information also suggests that B.C. residents wait 50 minutes on average, to see a doctor.

Albertans are waiting for only 23 minutes, on average.

The city with the longest wait times in Canada is Sidney, B.C., with an average of three hours for someone to see a doctor at a walk-in.

In Canada, 70 per cent of walk-in clinics are registered with Medimap, with data updating every 30 minutes.

“Many Canadians rely on walk-in clinics when they need to see a doctor," said Blake Adam, CEO and founder of Medimap. "We created Medimap as a simple solution that saves time and frustration for these people when they need access to care.” 

Another shocking find according to a Commonwealth Fund report is that Canada's health-care system is one of the lowest performing in relation to accessible care. Canada placed third-last in the developed world.

“Many Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor, and for those who do, it can often take weeks to get an
appointment. Your health needs can’t always wait, which is where walk-in clinics fill an important gap in our health care system,” said Adam. 

Cities with the longest average wait times: 

• Sidney, B.C. (180 minutes)
• Langford, B.C. (117 minutes)
• Victoria, B.C. (92 minutes)
• Morinville, AB (91 minutes)
• Maple Ridge, B.C. (91 minutes)
• Halifax, N.S. (91 minutes)
• Nanaimo, B.C. (82 minutes)
• Williams Lake, B.C. (80 minutes)
• Kingston, ON (77 minutes)
• Pitt Meadows, B.C. (75 minutes)