FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2025
Statement from Matt MacFarlane: Doctors warn that recent government actions risk worsening ER wait times
Charlottetown, PE – The Minister of Health is moving forward with changes that family doctors have explicitly warned will drive more physicians out of Prince Edward Island. These decisions threaten to further erode access to primary care and worsen an already dire situation in our hospital emergency rooms.
This warning comes as a new national report reveals that ER wait times have increased more on Prince Edward Island than in any other province in Canada. Islanders now wait more than twice as long as they used to for an initial physician assessment and spend over 50 per cent longer in the emergency room compared with just five years ago.
Median Time to Physician Initial Assessment across Canadian provinces 2020/21 to 2024/25
According to the report’s researchers, one of the key factors behind these skyrocketing ER wait times is the lack of access to primary care, namely family doctors. On PEI, nearly one in five Islanders — about 36,000 people — do not have a family doctor. That means tens of thousands of Islanders are relying on emergency rooms for issues that could and should be addressed earlier and more appropriately through primary care.
And yet, just last week, we learned that the Minister of Health is moving forward with changes that family doctors have explicitly warned will drive more physicians out of the province. A survey of family physicians on PEI found that if these changes are implemented, 72% felt patient’s access to primary care will decrease. If the Minister’s changes go ahead, Islanders can expect ER wait times to climb even higher, with devastating consequences for patients and already-overworked hospital staff.
This is yet another serious red flag that demands accountability. The Minister’s approach is clearly failing and the Premier must take responsibility for the direction this government is heading. It’s past time for real solutions, meaningful collaboration with frontline workers, and leadership that puts Islanders first.
Matt MacFarlane
Leader of the Green Party of PEI
MLA Borden-Kinkora
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca