Santis Health and Nanos Research

A national public opinion survey from Santis Health and Nanos Research examines Canadians’ experiences with health care, their priorities, and their appetite for changes to the health system.

Key Findings

Canadians want health system change

• 91% of Canadians say it is important for the health care system to change now.
• 70% report feeling worried or frustrated about the current state of health care.
• 55% believe the health care system is moving in the wrong direction, compared with 14% who believe it is moving in the right direction.
• 26% identify long wait times as the health system’s defining failure.

Wait times are the top concern

Long waits are the leading concern among Canadians in the Prairies, Ontario, Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.

Other frequently cited concerns include:

• 11%: shortage of health care staff
• 8%: shortage of family doctors
• 7%: opposition to privatization

Quebec differs from other regions, with 27% identifying poor access to services as their top concern.

Canadians are open to innovation and digital care

• 67% are open or somewhat open to health care providers using AI to assist with diagnosis, treatment planning and keeping up with changing information.
• 81% are open or somewhat open to expanding virtual care and digital tools.
• 82% would like access to a secure digital health wallet that they own and control, allowing them to share their medical history with health care providers.

Primary care is evolving

• 69% are open to receiving routine care and prescriptions from qualified health professionals other than doctors, including pharmacists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
• 82% are open or somewhat open to updating government rules so family doctors can be paid for care delegated to other members of the health team.

Canadians are open to new models of care delivery

• Approximately 7 in 10 Canadians believe improving health care involves at least some role for private care.
• 60% are open or somewhat open to private organizations delivering publicly funded surgeries and diagnostic tests.

Access to new medicines matters

• 72% of Canadians prefer that the government ensure access to new medicines at the same time as other major countries, even if this means paying higher prices.

Survey Methodology

The Santis-Nanos Canadian Health Perspective is a national public opinion survey tracking Canadian attitudes and sentiment on health care delivery, priorities and system innovation.

The findings are based on a survey of 1,003 Canadians conducted May 3–6, 2026.

View the full press release here:
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/nine-in-ten-canadians-call-for-widespread-health-system-change-in-new-nanos-research-survey-805811441.html