Highlights

• Statistics Canada continues to provide information regarding patients' experiences accessing care at the national and provincial levels.
  
  
• The results for 2005 indicate that waiting for care remains the number one barrier for those having difficulties accessing care.
  
  
• Median waiting times for all specialized services have remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2005 at 3 to 4 weeks, depending on the kind of care. Most individuals continue to report that they received care within 3 months.
  
  
• Patients' views about waiting for care have remained fairly stable between 2003 and 2005. While 70 to 80 percent indicated their waiting time was acceptable - there continues to be a proportion of Canadians who feel they are waiting an unacceptably long time for care.