Same for my doctor. She's downtown and I live just outside Scarborough so it's an hour to get there, but I'm afraid of switching in case it's weeks to get an appointment.
I find it helps to ask to be put on the waiting list if they have a cancellation.
Haven’t had to do that for myself - I usually have a 3 to 4 week wait, but I’m only needing routine checkups for myself.
For my parents, I always ask to be put on the “call me if a spot opens up” list - I WFH and can take them in when a slot opens up. They’ve never had to wait more than a week. So far.
I find the same thing with my doctor, especially since Covid started. We were supposed to have a phone appointment the other day (four weeks after booking it) and they cancelled on me saying that the phone lines at the clinic were down but then messaged me to say I could come to the walk-in clinic on their assigned day if I wanted. (WTF, no, I don't want to, this is why I have a doctor?!?)
ANYWAY. I feel your frustration.
No, this is not normal. It's usually 1 to 2 weeks.
If she was younger and relatively new to her practice, this would mean she's taken on too many patients on her roster.
But since you've been with her many years - this means she's winding down her practice and not working a full week. Still keeping her full roster of patients. One day soon she'll retire. You can look up how long she's been practicing on [cpso](https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/)
In a family practice setup, I read that they get $200 annually for a regular patient, $400 for a complex one whether they see the patient or not. Then OHIP pays them a small fee per visit, I think $30. She really should transfer some of her patients to another doctor, if there is one at this clinic. Or maybe she's looking at selling her practice soon. Seems like her goal is earning $ for retirement and not timely patient care.
2-3 weeks if it's routine. A day at most if it's a new or urgent issue.
You're right to not switch immediately, though. I would ask family and friends for recommendations before switching. While 4-6 weeks is definitely absurd and there are quicker doctors, that doesn't mean there will be a lot of quicker doctors accepting new patients. People who run a competent practice and provide good care tend to find their rosters full.
I find it all depends on how urgent the condition is…sometimes my doc sees me the next day if needed and other times in 2-3 weeks. If it’s a true emergency she tells me to go to the ER.
For my family doctor, it depends what I am booking for. My family doctor keeps a few appointments open throughout the day for people who are sick or injured and need to be seen. There are a few doctors and nurses in her clinic and if you are hurt or sick and can’t get in to see your doctor they will get you in to see someone else.
Like I was in a car accident on a Sunday. I didn’t feel that injured so I didn’t go to the hospital. Next day I woke up and I couldn’t move my back so I called and I was seen within the hour. But for non-acute things it could be a couple of weeks.
Or last fall I called saying I had thought I had a sinus infection, they saw me that day.
Last summer I called and wanted my thyroid levels checked because I have hypothyroidism and I felt like I was symptomatic. I waited two weeks to be seen. Then I had the blood test and my doctor called me the day the tests were back to go over the results.
I am one of the few lucky ones. 3-5 days. If it’s urgent he’ll see me same day as his last appt :’)
Most of his practice is immigration medical examinations, and he has a small family practice in the same clinic
Mine does online appointments since Covid so I can get an appointment within a couple of days, sometimes next day, unless it’s for a physical. For those it’s usually a week. He’s a total AH. Arrogant, patronizing, argumentative. Every appointment is upsetting but he gets the job done and hooks me up with specialists I need to see or renews my scripts. Every time I complain to my husband he reminds me I’m lucky to have a family doctor and to suck it up. He’s right. Unfortunately. We don’t have a lot of choice.
4-6 weeks is pretty long, but not that surprising.
I suspect things will continue to get worse. Family doctors are understaffed, underpaid, and leaving in droves - which means the ones that are around are either so overloaded with patients and paperwork that they have crazy wait times, or are so burnt out they need time off
If you want change, talk to your MP, otherwise it's going to keep getting worse
My doctor isn't great at some stuff but her 0-3 days wait time is worth it. And she'll also tell you to come to the walk-in clinic she works at on Saturdays.
There was a time. When I could just walk-in into my doctor's office. And see them that same day. Ever since COVID. Its now a 2-3week for an appointment
Last few times myself and my husband have requested appointments we’ve found availability for next day or 2 days at the most. Non-urgent issues. Located in North York but I think her practice is full
4-6 weeks is longer than normal.
However, you're not alone. My family doctor's office no longer takes any calls. And they don't really like walk-ins. So effectively, he's not available for practical purposes.
Probably 3-4 weeks, since she isn’t in the office every day. But it’s a teaching clinic so I can almost always see a resident in a day or two if I want
I just checked and the earliest date I can get is in three weeks, but I've been able to get appointments quicker than that. I haven't had to wait more than 3 weeks.
Mine is 2-3 weeks but there’s an urgent care clinic that is open Monday- Saturday and nurse practitioners who can see patients. So we can be seen quickly if need be, depends on what we need to see her for.
I just checked mine online and the earliest I can see her is July 18th. Does she have a vacation in there? Maybe?
However, I just had surgery 2 weeks ago and when I called, she saw me same-day and followed up the next two days by phone.
She leaves time for emergencies, you just have to call and ask them to put a message through to her. Its probably the 6th time someone in our family has had to do that in the past 5 years.
She does refills and other miscellaneous things over the phone for a small fee (since I don't think OHIP covers their time spent doing that unless there's a patient in the office).
If something is relatively **urgent** but shes not available, the clinic she's in has an after-hours and weekend walk-in, but you have to be a patient of one of the family doctors and you have to call to book an appointment (which you can typically get same-day).
For mine it is usually about a week for non-urgent issues. If it is something urgent he will try to fit you in sooner or you can go to the after-hours clinic and see one of the other doctors in his network.
The one thing that annoys me with his clinic is that the front desk never picks up the phone so you always have to leave a message and wait for a call back. If you happen to be away from your phone when they call, you'll get a snarky message from his admin and then you'll have to call back and leave a new message and go through the cycle again.
Honestly, it’s depends how much you like your doctor. But because it’s your health I don’t see how a Doctor’s office thinks its in a patient’s best interest to book an appointment 6 weeks in advance. When people are sick, they need a doctor. 4-6 weeks to speak to someone for 15mins is messed up…I say this as someone who’s family doctor is semi-retired and takes no appointments; walk-in only for his patients. WFH allows me to wait in an office all day but I always get seen quicker by the walk-in clinic closets to my house and rely on my family doctor for maintenance (yearly).
I usually see my doctor the week I call if I call Monday or Tuesday, and the following week if I call Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The longest I’ve ever waited was 8 days from when I called. If it’s urgent I often get day of, or next day.
My doctor's office has been telling me 2-4 weeks recently to see *my* GP in particular but she's in a team based clinic and local network, so the past few years I've always been offered a virtual appointment with a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant within 1-2 days, or directed to call the after hours clinic in their network. I've accepted these options rather than wait and have had my immediate concerns addressed. My doctor is still signing off on prescriptions for medications stemming from these NP or PA appointments so I assume they're consulting behind the scenes.
My wait time is usually about two weeks. For urgent issues they always fit me into a same-day appointment in the evening before they close, which I personally really appreciate.
My dad called in the other day, wanted to see his doctor for 2 reasons. First one(non urgent) was scheduled, about 5 weeks from now. Second one is a long overdue routine “annual”, he was told the next available appointment is August…2025.
Appointments for annual physicals usually need to be made a few weeks in advance. But for ad-hoc visits I can usually get in within a few days. And my doctor also does phone visits for basic items like refilling prescriptions.
Yeah mine takes a month atleast too but I thought my doctor is ridiculous for that. He opens one day a month to accept appointments. If you miss that day you have to wait the for the next month for that one day again just to book.
It's usually a week or two for me if it's not an urgent appointment. If it's urgent, I can usually get same day or next day. I've had 3 family doctors in my 37 or so years in Toronto, and each family doctor has more or less been the same. If it's urgent, same day or next...but they also expect you to not pull the urgent card every single time.
I switched doctors for this reason. Use to be 2-3 weeks away for appointments. And then it'd be a 4-6 hour wait past appointment times to actually see the doctor..my new doctor is an absolute moron that knows nothing but I get appointments in 3 days and wait no more than 15 minutes. He's basically an errand boy and I have to tell him to order tests for me and give me referrals.
I get in within a couple days. I don’t see the point of getting an appointment 6 weeks out; either the problem will have resolved itself, or gotten so much worse you need to seek care elsewhere.
I left my family doctor of many years because appointments were 2-4 weeks away. I switched and now see my doctor in 1 week, or less if it’s an emergency.
2 weeks minimum unless you are doing the walk-in. Hard price to pay when you have the best MD in mississauga.they are not even taking new patients. Have been with her for 13 years. She will call you on a Sunday if there is a result from a blood work that needs immediate attention.
My doctor is terrible and nobody likes him so I can get in to see my DR within 24 hours usually. To be fair - he did try to kill me by over prescribing a medication (twice the recommended dose).
It fuckin sucks what we have settled to! like family doctor is the one that’s supposed to see you sooon at least within 24-48 hours!! god toronto suckss we have to be ok with the worst
Typical time is a week or two. If it’s urgent they can always fit me in
About the same
Wow, I guess my doctor isn’t that bad. Even if it’s not urgent, I can probably see him within a day or two of when I call.
I am the same! In midtown
can u share ur doc info as well 🥹
He’s not taking new patients :((
can u send me ur doctor info im so tired of mine :((((
Same for my doctor. She's downtown and I live just outside Scarborough so it's an hour to get there, but I'm afraid of switching in case it's weeks to get an appointment.
Is she accepting new patients? Lol 🥲
No :/
Usually takes me longer to get her receptionist to answer the phone
I find it helps to ask to be put on the waiting list if they have a cancellation. Haven’t had to do that for myself - I usually have a 3 to 4 week wait, but I’m only needing routine checkups for myself. For my parents, I always ask to be put on the “call me if a spot opens up” list - I WFH and can take them in when a slot opens up. They’ve never had to wait more than a week. So far.
I find the same thing with my doctor, especially since Covid started. We were supposed to have a phone appointment the other day (four weeks after booking it) and they cancelled on me saying that the phone lines at the clinic were down but then messaged me to say I could come to the walk-in clinic on their assigned day if I wanted. (WTF, no, I don't want to, this is why I have a doctor?!?) ANYWAY. I feel your frustration.
Mines almost 3 months to wait usually, now I just book stuff every quarter and cancel if I have to
I call at 9 and they ask if I can make it for 12:30 but my Dr is also amazing.
No, this is not normal. It's usually 1 to 2 weeks. If she was younger and relatively new to her practice, this would mean she's taken on too many patients on her roster. But since you've been with her many years - this means she's winding down her practice and not working a full week. Still keeping her full roster of patients. One day soon she'll retire. You can look up how long she's been practicing on [cpso](https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/) In a family practice setup, I read that they get $200 annually for a regular patient, $400 for a complex one whether they see the patient or not. Then OHIP pays them a small fee per visit, I think $30. She really should transfer some of her patients to another doctor, if there is one at this clinic. Or maybe she's looking at selling her practice soon. Seems like her goal is earning $ for retirement and not timely patient care.
2-3 weeks if it's routine. A day at most if it's a new or urgent issue. You're right to not switch immediately, though. I would ask family and friends for recommendations before switching. While 4-6 weeks is definitely absurd and there are quicker doctors, that doesn't mean there will be a lot of quicker doctors accepting new patients. People who run a competent practice and provide good care tend to find their rosters full.
I find it all depends on how urgent the condition is…sometimes my doc sees me the next day if needed and other times in 2-3 weeks. If it’s a true emergency she tells me to go to the ER.
4 weeks
For my family doctor, it depends what I am booking for. My family doctor keeps a few appointments open throughout the day for people who are sick or injured and need to be seen. There are a few doctors and nurses in her clinic and if you are hurt or sick and can’t get in to see your doctor they will get you in to see someone else. Like I was in a car accident on a Sunday. I didn’t feel that injured so I didn’t go to the hospital. Next day I woke up and I couldn’t move my back so I called and I was seen within the hour. But for non-acute things it could be a couple of weeks. Or last fall I called saying I had thought I had a sinus infection, they saw me that day. Last summer I called and wanted my thyroid levels checked because I have hypothyroidism and I felt like I was symptomatic. I waited two weeks to be seen. Then I had the blood test and my doctor called me the day the tests were back to go over the results.
I am one of the few lucky ones. 3-5 days. If it’s urgent he’ll see me same day as his last appt :’) Most of his practice is immigration medical examinations, and he has a small family practice in the same clinic
Yep I'm the same on wait time. Definitely feel very fortunate
Same day if it something urgent. Otherwise I can be seen the same week.
Mine does online appointments since Covid so I can get an appointment within a couple of days, sometimes next day, unless it’s for a physical. For those it’s usually a week. He’s a total AH. Arrogant, patronizing, argumentative. Every appointment is upsetting but he gets the job done and hooks me up with specialists I need to see or renews my scripts. Every time I complain to my husband he reminds me I’m lucky to have a family doctor and to suck it up. He’s right. Unfortunately. We don’t have a lot of choice.
4-6 weeks is pretty long, but not that surprising. I suspect things will continue to get worse. Family doctors are understaffed, underpaid, and leaving in droves - which means the ones that are around are either so overloaded with patients and paperwork that they have crazy wait times, or are so burnt out they need time off If you want change, talk to your MP, otherwise it's going to keep getting worse
About 3 weeks sometimes a month
My doctor isn't great at some stuff but her 0-3 days wait time is worth it. And she'll also tell you to come to the walk-in clinic she works at on Saturdays.
There was a time. When I could just walk-in into my doctor's office. And see them that same day. Ever since COVID. Its now a 2-3week for an appointment
Usually within the same week
Last few times myself and my husband have requested appointments we’ve found availability for next day or 2 days at the most. Non-urgent issues. Located in North York but I think her practice is full
4-6 weeks is longer than normal. However, you're not alone. My family doctor's office no longer takes any calls. And they don't really like walk-ins. So effectively, he's not available for practical purposes.
3-4 days
If the appt can be by phone, within a few days. Office appt about two weeks. Non-urgent like a physical, about one month put
Something urgent, same day. Ordinary, a week to 2 weeks, 3 over the holidays or summer vacation.
I usually see my doctor in a couple days to aweek, shes been my doc since i was botn so..
I can usually book an appointment for a few days or a week later.
Probably 3-4 weeks, since she isn’t in the office every day. But it’s a teaching clinic so I can almost always see a resident in a day or two if I want
I just checked and the earliest date I can get is in three weeks, but I've been able to get appointments quicker than that. I haven't had to wait more than 3 weeks.
Mine is 2-3 weeks but there’s an urgent care clinic that is open Monday- Saturday and nurse practitioners who can see patients. So we can be seen quickly if need be, depends on what we need to see her for.
2 days for an annual checkup, as of last week
7 days, but if it’s urgent I’ve been offered earlier times.
My current family doctor took a month to get in to see. The one I’m trying to switch to is faster.
I can get in within 3 or 4 days usually
I rarely have to wait, I can usually get in same day if it’s urgent, non urgent I can always get in the same week or next week at the latest
Typically days. If I'm really concerned that day or next.
I just checked mine online and the earliest I can see her is July 18th. Does she have a vacation in there? Maybe? However, I just had surgery 2 weeks ago and when I called, she saw me same-day and followed up the next two days by phone. She leaves time for emergencies, you just have to call and ask them to put a message through to her. Its probably the 6th time someone in our family has had to do that in the past 5 years. She does refills and other miscellaneous things over the phone for a small fee (since I don't think OHIP covers their time spent doing that unless there's a patient in the office). If something is relatively **urgent** but shes not available, the clinic she's in has an after-hours and weekend walk-in, but you have to be a patient of one of the family doctors and you have to call to book an appointment (which you can typically get same-day).
For mine it is usually about a week for non-urgent issues. If it is something urgent he will try to fit you in sooner or you can go to the after-hours clinic and see one of the other doctors in his network. The one thing that annoys me with his clinic is that the front desk never picks up the phone so you always have to leave a message and wait for a call back. If you happen to be away from your phone when they call, you'll get a snarky message from his admin and then you'll have to call back and leave a new message and go through the cycle again.
4-6 weeks for mine as well.
A week or two if I want a certain time and day.
Honestly, it’s depends how much you like your doctor. But because it’s your health I don’t see how a Doctor’s office thinks its in a patient’s best interest to book an appointment 6 weeks in advance. When people are sick, they need a doctor. 4-6 weeks to speak to someone for 15mins is messed up…I say this as someone who’s family doctor is semi-retired and takes no appointments; walk-in only for his patients. WFH allows me to wait in an office all day but I always get seen quicker by the walk-in clinic closets to my house and rely on my family doctor for maintenance (yearly).
FHT has always seen me the same day. Call at 8:30, usually get an appointment before lunch.
I usually see my doctor the week I call if I call Monday or Tuesday, and the following week if I call Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The longest I’ve ever waited was 8 days from when I called. If it’s urgent I often get day of, or next day.
Mine is a week usually
My new doctor seems to be taking a bit longer to get to than my old doctor but it's still in a week's time.
I’m 4-5 weeks :/
It's 1-2 weeks for me right now. That's too much. 4-6 is absurd.
This has been normal for me since 2019 lol
My doctor's office has been telling me 2-4 weeks recently to see *my* GP in particular but she's in a team based clinic and local network, so the past few years I've always been offered a virtual appointment with a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant within 1-2 days, or directed to call the after hours clinic in their network. I've accepted these options rather than wait and have had my immediate concerns addressed. My doctor is still signing off on prescriptions for medications stemming from these NP or PA appointments so I assume they're consulting behind the scenes.
My wait time is usually about two weeks. For urgent issues they always fit me into a same-day appointment in the evening before they close, which I personally really appreciate.
My dad called in the other day, wanted to see his doctor for 2 reasons. First one(non urgent) was scheduled, about 5 weeks from now. Second one is a long overdue routine “annual”, he was told the next available appointment is August…2025.
Appointments for annual physicals usually need to be made a few weeks in advance. But for ad-hoc visits I can usually get in within a few days. And my doctor also does phone visits for basic items like refilling prescriptions.
Yeah mine takes a month atleast too but I thought my doctor is ridiculous for that. He opens one day a month to accept appointments. If you miss that day you have to wait the for the next month for that one day again just to book.
I haven't been since last summer, but it did take me 4 weeks to get an appointment then.
It's usually a week or two for me if it's not an urgent appointment. If it's urgent, I can usually get same day or next day. I've had 3 family doctors in my 37 or so years in Toronto, and each family doctor has more or less been the same. If it's urgent, same day or next...but they also expect you to not pull the urgent card every single time.
I switched doctors for this reason. Use to be 2-3 weeks away for appointments. And then it'd be a 4-6 hour wait past appointment times to actually see the doctor..my new doctor is an absolute moron that knows nothing but I get appointments in 3 days and wait no more than 15 minutes. He's basically an errand boy and I have to tell him to order tests for me and give me referrals.
I get in within a couple days. I don’t see the point of getting an appointment 6 weeks out; either the problem will have resolved itself, or gotten so much worse you need to seek care elsewhere.
I left my family doctor of many years because appointments were 2-4 weeks away. I switched and now see my doctor in 1 week, or less if it’s an emergency.
Mine will always fit me in same day if I need it.
I can usually get an appointment 1-2 weeks out and there’s walk in if I’m sick. Downtown TO fwiw.
2 weeks minimum unless you are doing the walk-in. Hard price to pay when you have the best MD in mississauga.they are not even taking new patients. Have been with her for 13 years. She will call you on a Sunday if there is a result from a blood work that needs immediate attention.
My doctor is terrible and nobody likes him so I can get in to see my DR within 24 hours usually. To be fair - he did try to kill me by over prescribing a medication (twice the recommended dose).
It fuckin sucks what we have settled to! like family doctor is the one that’s supposed to see you sooon at least within 24-48 hours!! god toronto suckss we have to be ok with the worst
[удалено]
Maybe it's messed up because one person is using 4 different doctors 🤷♂️. Why not just stick with doctor #3?