New data released this week from the Canadian Institute for Health Information reveals how Manitoba’s health system is performing in many areas important to doctors. 

Why it Matters

From primary to hospital care to mental health, benchmarking Manitoba’s performance helps us advocate for stronger resources and support for doctors in all settings to help you provide exceptional care to your patients.

👩‍⚕️ Access to a Family Doctor: The data from CIHI shows strong progress on access to a family doctor, but also room for improvement: 

• 85% of adults, and 91% of children and youth report having access to a family doctor or family doctor. This is better than the Canadian average of 82.6% for adults and 88.8% for children and youth, but Manitoba’s rate for adults is actually down from a high of 88.9% in 2022. 
• While Manitoba’s rates are higher than the national average, there is still room for improvement as 188,000 Manitobans do not have a family doctor, pediatrician or primary care provider as of 2024.

Yes, but: The data released today is current to 2024. Family Medicine Plus was launched in 2024 and our recent analysis finds it has helped attract 184 more doctors to longitudinal family practice, and attached 104,000 more patients to a family doctor. FM+ is helping to improve access, and we hope to see this reflected in next year’s report. Read more about the first year of FM+ in this Rounds feature article.

⏱️ Same/​Next Day Appoints: Timely access to primary care is challenge for many in Manitoba and across Canada:

• Nearly two thirds (63%) of Manitobans are satisfied with their wait times for a primary care appointment, but only one third (32.6%) report being able to get a same or next day appointment when they need one. 
• While there is room for improvement, Manitoba’s access is better than the Canadian average of 26.8%. Past international surveys show that among developed countries, the average access to same or next day appoints is 42%. 

Yes, but: Team-based care is a leading practice to help doctors make their care more accessible, but Manitoba lags behind. The government did promise during the 2023 election to add 250 team-based providers to physician practices, but there has not yet been any progress. We continue to advocate for this initiative to move forward to support doctors and their patients. 

🧠 Mental Health: CIHI also measures a number of indicators related to mental health and substance use: 

• 37% of Manitobans with a mental health disorder have unmet health needs, compared to 41% nationally (read more).
• In Manitoba, 64% of patients with a hospital stay for mental health or substance use saw a doctor within 30 days, compared to 70% nationally (read more).

🏥 Hospital Admissions: With hospitals often at or over capacity, it’s important to monitor admissions for conditions where appropriate ambulatory care prevents or reduces the need for admission to hospital. 

• Across Canada, 325 people in 100,000 are admitted to hospital with what are considered ​“ambulatory care sensitive conditions.” In Manitoba, the number is lower, which is positive, at 279 admissions per 100,000 people. 

What’s Next

Doctors Manitoba tracks these indicators to ensure our advocacy on behalf of physicians is guided by evidence, just like your medical practice is every day. We will be using these indicators to press for team-based care and less administrative burden to open up capacity in physician practices to better meet patient needs. 

What do you think?

Drop us an email at practiceadvice@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.