Toronto, July 27: A new national study has raised fresh concerns about the future of emergency medicine in Canada, suggesting that one in every ten emergency physicians has left the specialty, while many others are reducing their clinical workloads because of burnout, overcrowded hospitals and mounting pressures within the health-care system.
The findings, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), are based on a 2025 survey of more than 400 emergency physicians from across Canada. Researchers say the results point to a health-care system under severe strain, with many physicians describing it as “broken.”
The study was conducted by researchers from the Network of Canadian Emergency Researchers, led by Dr. Kerstin de Wit, an emergency physician at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and professor at Queen’s University.
“The prevailing theme was that the health-care system is broken,” the researchers wrote, warning that physician burnout has become a long-term systemic issue rather than a temporary consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burnout Driving Physicians Away
According to the survey, 48 per cent of respondents said they had reduced their clinical hours, 20 per cent had taken time away from work to manage stress or burnout, and 10 per cent reported leaving emergency medicine altogether.
Women and younger physicians reported the highest levels of burnout.
Researchers cautioned that physician exhaustion can compromise patient safety, reduce the quality of care and further weaken already overburdened emergency departments.
Doctors Describe Difficult Working Conditions
The findings reflect the experiences of physicians such as Dr. Kaitlin Stockton, an emergency physician in Vancouver and spokesperson for the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP).
Stockton recalled treating critically ill patients in crowded hallways, delivering life-changing diagnoses without privacy and caring for patients whose conditions deteriorated after spending many hours waiting for treatment.
She said at least five of her colleagues have left emergency medicine in recent years.
“We’re seeing this alarming exodus of health-care workers across the country,” Stockton said.
She noted that many of those leaving are early in their careers rather than approaching retirement, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of Canada’s emergency care workforce.
Pressure on Emergency Departments Growing
The survey comes as emergency departments across Canada continue to struggle with chronic overcrowding, staffing shortages and increasing patient demand.
Millions of Canadians still lack access to a family physician, leaving emergency departments to manage large numbers of patients seeking primary care.
Recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) found that during the 2024–25 fiscal year, one in ten patients admitted to hospital waited more than 48 hours in an emergency department before obtaining an inpatient bed—a significant increase compared with six years earlier.
A separate CBC News investigation in 2024 also found that one in five Ontario hospitals with emergency or urgent care departments experienced at least one unplanned closure during the year.
Calls for Systemic Reform
The study’s authors argue that addressing physician burnout requires more than workplace wellness initiatives.
They recommend expanding staffing, improving access to primary and community health care, investing in specialized emergency services for seniors and reducing bottlenecks that contribute to overcrowding.
Toronto emergency physician Dr. James Maskalyk said many doctors feel frustrated because organizational problems prevent them from providing the level of care they know patients need.
“The feeling that we’re being shortchanged in our ability to do what we love, and we aren’t giving patients what they need—that’s where this attrition is coming from,” he said.
Governments Face Growing Pressure
Health-care funding and hospital capacity remain central issues for provincial and federal governments.
At a recent meeting in Charlottetown, Canada’s premiers called for more predictable federal health-care funding, while the Canadian Medical Association urged governments to address persistent emergency room closures, staffing shortages and barriers that limit health professionals from working across provincial borders.
Researchers emphasize that retaining experienced emergency physicians will require coordinated action to improve hospital capacity, reduce wait times and strengthen Canada’s overall health-care system.
The study concludes that without meaningful reforms, continued physician burnout and departures could further strain emergency departments, making timely access to emergency care increasingly difficult for Canadians.