Access to Primary Care

Family Doctor

To find a family doctor accepting new patients, visit the  Ministry of Health website find your territory and local health and social service centre (CISSS) and register onto your territory waiting list. You may sign up for the waiting list either by phone or in some cases online.

Another option to find a family doctor, is to contact The  Quebec Doctor Directory, a private held website and not associated with any government organization. The website allows you to search for a family doctor in your area. It attempts to provide a list of doctors accepting patients, but the information changes rapidly and the site makes no guarantee of how up to date the information is.

To find information about family doctors, visit the  Collège des médecins du Québec website or call 514 933-4441 – Toll free 1-888-633-3246.

CLSC

Another option to access primary care directly is to contact your local community health centers (CLSC) or  family physician groups (GMF) to find a centre near you to see if they are accepting new patients or call 514-644-4545 – Toll free 1-877-644-4545.

Private clinics

Some clinics in Quebec that are not Ministry funded offer primary care services. To find a private clinic near you, you may visit this  website.

Nurse practitioner

Certain specialized nurse practitioners in Quebec offer primary care services. You must contact your local CISSS to see if there is any availability. However, in most cases, you must be on your region’s orphan patient list to obtain their services. To obtain more information about nurse practitioners in Quebec, visit the  Association des infirmières praticiennes spécialisées du Québec (in French) website.

Walk-in clinics

If you do not have a family doctor or if your family doctor is not available, some local community service centers (CLSC) offer primary care services without an appointment. You may select this  link to find a clinic.

Provincial and Territorial Call-in Health Lines

Info-Santé – call 8-1-1

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association or the Collège des médecins du Québec (in French) websites.

To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Family Doctor

To find a family doctor by area and specialty, visit the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick website. Patient Connect NB attempts to find family doctors for New Brunswickers on a first come, first served basis. The service is managed provincially and is bilingual. To  register online for Patient Connect NB.

Nurse practitioner

Nurse practitioners can be found In a variety of health-care settings such as community clinics, health-care centres, nursing homes and hospitals.  More information can be found by contacting  Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick.

Walk-in clinics

Walk-in clinics provide care for New Brunswick patients with non-urgent medical problems who don’t have a family doctor or who are unable to obtain an appointment with their family doctor. Walk-in clinics serve patients on a first-come, first-serve basis. For a directory of walk-in and after-hour clinics, select this  link. You can also search the  Vitalite Health Network website for a list of walk-in clinics.

Community clinics

The Horizon Health Network manages patient and family centered care. A list of facilities and clinics can be found  here.

Provincial and territorial call-in health lines

Tele-Care New Brunswick – call 8-1-1

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association website or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick.
To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Family Doctor

To find a family doctor accepting new patients, go to the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC or call 604-736-7331 – toll free 1-800-461-3008. The Ministry of Health does not currently run a separate program to find family doctors for patients.

Divisions of family practice

Another option to access primary care is through Divisions of Family Practice, which are community-based groups of family doctors working together. Go to the  Divisions’ website to learn about the services provided in your area or call Ph: 604-736-5551 – Toll free: 1-800-665-2262.

Nurse practitioner

To find a nurse practitioner, go to the  College of Registered Nurses of BC website or call 604-736-7331 – toll free 1-800-565-6505.

Walk-in clinics

If you’re having difficulty finding a family doctor accepting new patients, you may go to a walk-in clinic in your neighbourhood or area. Visit this  website for more information and to find a clinic near you.

According to College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, if a patient attends the same clinic on three or more occasions s/he is assumed to be receiving longitudinal care from that clinic. These patients must be offered the opportunity to become a regular clinic patient. The medical director of the clinic is responsible for ensuring that this occurs, and that a patient medical record is created and maintained. Patients may not always see the same doctor but their care and treatment will be recorded in the same record.

Source: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/services-and-resources/find-services or call 604-733-7758 – toll free1-800-461-3008
Check the yellow pages or the Internet for a walk-in clinic near you.

Provincial and territorial call-in health lines

Nurseline – call   8-1-1
Hearing impaired – call 7-1-1

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Family Doctor

To find a family doctor accepting new patients, visit the  Health Region Contact Information and Websites, select your regional health authority’s website and select the “Find a Physician” link on their website, or call 1-800-667-7766 / 306-787-0146. To find information about a family doctor, visit the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.

Nurse practitioner

To find a nurse practitioner, visit the  Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners. 

Community health centres

Community Health Centres work with community members to provide health programs that meet the needs of area residents. Saskatchewan has a number of community health centres with a link from the specific health region web page.
Visit  Health Region Contact Information and Websites and select your regional health authority’s website for a list of community health centres in your health region. For questions about the operation of the centre, please contact the centre directly.

Walk-in clinics

Visit  Health Region Contact Information and Websites and select your regional health authority’s website for a list of walk-in clinics in your health region. For questions about the operation of the clinic, please contact the clinic directly.

Provincial and territorial call-in health lines

Saskatchewan HealthLine – call 8-1-1 or 1-877-800-0002

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association website or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (there is a Physician Search function on the left side of the homepage). To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Family Doctor

To find family doctor that Is accepting new patients by community, visit the  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador Doctor Search website.

Nurse practitioner

To get information about a nurse practitioner, contact the  Newfoundland and Labrador Nurse Practitioner Association.

Community clinics

To find a Regional health service including acute care, medical/walk-in clinics and community based services in your region, visit the  Regional Health Authority website for services in your community and for more information on access to primary care.

Provincial and territorial call-in health lines

Newfoundland and Labrador HealthLine – call 1-888-709-2929

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association website or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador.
To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Family Doctor

To find a family doctor, call the Patient Hot Line at 867-920-3335 to obtain a list of family doctors accepting new patients.

Local clinics that can assist you in finding a family doctor are the Yellowknife Primary Care Centre at 867-920-7777 or the Frame Lake Community Health Centre at 867-873-3512.

Nurse practitioner

For information about nurse practitioners, visit the  Registered Nurses Association of NT/NU website.

Community health clinics

Yellowknife Health and Social Services operates clinics that offer a broad range of services. Visit the  Clinics and Health Centres webpage for more information. You can also select this  link for a phone contact list of clinics, health centres and hospitals.

Provincial and territorial call-in health lines

NWT Health Line – call 1-888-255-1010

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association website.
To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)

Health facilities

A list of primary health care facilities and services can be found on this  website.
Qikiqtani General Hospital serves the Qikiqtani (Baffin) Region with twelve communities spread over approximately one million square kilometres. Phone: (867) 975-8600

Nurse practitioner

For information on finding a nurse practitioner, visit the  Registered Nurses Association of NT/NU website or call at 867-873-2745.

Community care program

For information about Nunavut Home and Community Care program, which offers nursing care, visit this  link.

To find a rheumatologist in your area, please visit the  Canadian Rheumatology Association website.
To see a rheumatologist, you will need a referral from your doctor.

Emergency department

As a last resort, if you do not have a family doctor and there are no health clinics nearby, and you require health care services, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Note that patients are not seen on a first-come, first served system. Critical patients are attended to first.

Health emergency

If you are concerned that you are seriously ill or injured, go to the nearest Emergency Department. Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions should immediately phone 911.

Specialty care

In provinces and territories across Canada, patients require a referral to see a specialist, either from a family doctor or another specialist. In some cases, for example for elective surgeries or cosmetic surgeries, specialists will see patients privately and without a referral from a family doctor. However, in these instances, the patient will be billed and must pay the specialist directly. Information about doctors and the services they provide may be obtained from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in your province or territory.

Some family doctors specialize in certain diseases or conditions; check with your family doctor, clinic, or pharmacist to find out if there is a family doctor in the area that can look after your speciality needs.

If you would like to see a specialist, but your family doctor is reluctant to make the referral, please be sure that you clearly communicate your symptoms to your family doctor.

You’re not always going to be satisfied with everything you are being told by your healthcare professional. In these instances, consider the following:

• Make sure you have provided all the information that you can to help with diagnosis and treatment planning, including your needs and treatment goals.
• Be clear with your treatment team member if something is not working or will not work for you – have an open, honest and respectful discussion about any misgivings you may have about your diagnosis or treatment.
• Be sure you are following the treatment plan as recommended by your team
• Consider connecting with a patient support group or discussion board to find out if they have similar challenges and how they handle them.

How to ask for a second opinion

This is never easy, but if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or treatment plan recommended to you by a healthcare professional, you can get a second opinion. If you have followed the steps above and remain unsatisfied, talk to your family physician about being referred to another specialist. (Keep in mind that if you live in a small or remote community, you may need to travel to another region for a second opinion.)