Introduction
Healthcare wait times can vary greatly from country to country and even within countries. For example, in the United States, the average wait time for a primary care physician is roughly 20 minutes, with about 28% of patients being able to meet with a doctor within the day, while specialty care wait times can be as long as several weeks or even months. In Canada, patients may wait up to 10 weeks to see a specialist in some provinces. In the UK, the NHS reported that in April 2019 the median waiting time for outpatient appointments was 3.3 weeks, with the longest waits being more than 5 months. In Australia, medical specialists make up only 25% of all clinicians, which has resulted in longer appointment wait times. On average, Australians wait around 6-7 weeks for specialist appointments. But it’s not just doctors’ visits that have long wait times – elective surgeries often require many months of waiting. The average length of time a patient in Canada waits for an elective surgery is 18-19 weeks, while those in England may experience waits of up to 18 months or more depending on region and specialty. These differences demonstrate just how varied healthcare wait times are from one country to another and between types of doctor or surgery.
| # | Country | Healthcare Waiting Times | Health Score | Care System Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 33% | 78.4 | 71.3 |
| 2 | United States of America | 28% | 73.9 | 72.7 |
| 3 | Sweden | 24% | 82.1 | 83.1 |
| 4 | Norway | 22% | 84 | 82.2 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 21% | 78.8 | 77.7 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 17% | 79.7 | 73.4 |
| 7 | Australia | 14% | 80.2 | 75.2 |
| 8 | France | 14% | 80.5 | 80.4 |
| 9 | Germany | 13% | 81.1 | 81.1 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 13% | 82.2 | 77.3 |
| 11 | Switzerland | 12% | 81.5 | 82.4 |
Healthcare Waiting Times by Country
Australia
Healthcare Waiting Times
14%
Ranked in the World
#7
80.2
Ranked in the World
#22
Care System Score
75.2
Ranked in the World
#21
Canada
Healthcare Waiting Times
33%
Ranked in the World
#1
78.4
Ranked in the World
#33
Care System Score
71.3
Ranked in the World
#35
France
Healthcare Waiting Times
14%
Ranked in the World
#8
80.5
Ranked in the World
#20
Care System Score
80.4
Ranked in the World
#9
Germany
Healthcare Waiting Times
13%
Ranked in the World
#9
81.1
Ranked in the World
#16
Care System Score
81.1
Ranked in the World
#6
Netherlands
Healthcare Waiting Times
13%
Ranked in the World
#10
82.2
Ranked in the World
#9
Care System Score
77.3
Ranked in the World
#15
New Zealand
Healthcare Waiting Times
17%
Ranked in the World
#6
79.7
Ranked in the World
#24
Care System Score
73.4
Ranked in the World
#29
Norway
Healthcare Waiting Times
22%
Ranked in the World
#4
Ranked in the World
#4
Care System Score
82.2
Ranked in the World
#5
Sweden
Healthcare Waiting Times
24%
Ranked in the World
#3
82.1
Ranked in the World
#10
Care System Score
83.1
Ranked in the World
#3
Switzerland
Healthcare Waiting Times
12%
Ranked in the World
#11
81.5
Ranked in the World
#13
Care System Score
82.4
Ranked in the World
#4
United Kingdom
Healthcare Waiting Times
21%
Ranked in the World
#5
78.8
Ranked in the World
#31
Care System Score
77.7
Ranked in the World
#12
United States of America
Healthcare Waiting Times
28%
Ranked in the World
#2
73.9
Ranked in the World
#69
Care System Score
72.7
Ranked in the World
#30
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