A Quebec patient made 362 doctor visits in 2024, setting a national record for most appointments in one year. CTV
A Quebecer has set a new record for the most doctor visits in a year in Canada, with an astounding 362 appointments in 2024. This revelation comes from a freedom of information (FOI) request by SecondStreet.org, a think tank that studies government policies. The request revealed the highest number of doctor visits in the country, prompting concerns over the efficient use of healthcare resources in Quebec.
Unprecedented Number of Visits
The data, obtained from Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), shows that no other province came close to matching Quebec's record. In comparison, the top patient in British Columbia had 209 visits in the same year, while Manitoba recorded 252 and Saskatchewan 199 visits for their highest numbers.
Colin Craig, president of SecondStreet.org, called the Quebec numbers "astronomically high." He urged the provincial government to investigate whether this frequent use of the healthcare system was due to abuse and whether tackling the issue could help free up resources for other patients.
The RAMQ tracks patient-physician contacts and includes visits across multiple types of facilities, including private practices, hospitals, and long-term care centers. A patient may have multiple visits on the same day if they see different doctors.
Quebec's Healthcare Struggles
This information comes at a time when Quebec's healthcare system has been facing significant challenges. According to a 2025 study by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ), 82 percent of Quebecers had a family doctor in 2019, but this number has steadily declined to 72 percent in 2024. The study pointed to factors such as the retirement of older doctors and the reluctance of new doctors to take on large numbers of patients.
Currently, about 1.5 million Quebecers do not have a family doctor, and the province continues to experience long wait times and increased difficulty in accessing care. One Montreal couple, for example, had to wait nearly two months for an appointment, leaving one elderly man waiting to return to work.
Government Efforts and Declining Doctor Numbers
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, which promised to ensure access to family doctors for every Quebecer when it took office in 2018, now faces growing pressure as the number of patients without a doctor increases. Despite efforts to address the issue, the numbers show that more work is needed.
Dr. Matthew Donlan has launched the Care for Every Kid initiative, aimed at improving access to healthcare for children and hopes to see the program expand across the province.
The Breakdown of Doctor Visits
The RAMQ data further revealed that 11,586 Quebecers visited a doctor between 51 and 100 times in 2024. 1,611 people had 100 or more visits that year. This is a stark contrast to the numbers reported in other provinces, such as British Columbia, which had 14,497 patients who visited a doctor between 51 and 100 times, and Alberta, which recorded 25,767 such patients.
In comparison, Saskatchewan had 31 and Manitoba only 560 patients in the same category. The data from Quebec highlights a significant discrepancy in doctor visits, suggesting that Quebec’s healthcare system may be under more strain compared to other provinces.
A Call for Reform
As access to healthcare continues to decline in Quebec, the provincial government is under increasing pressure to address the issues of doctor shortages and overuse of resources. The public health system faces a significant challenge in ensuring that all residents have access to timely and efficient care. The Quebec government’s commitment to improving healthcare access remains crucial in light of these growing concerns.
