Healthcare in Canada for Brits: What's Covered, What's Not, and How to Get a Doctor

Canada has universal healthcare, but it works very differently from the NHS. The basics are similar - you won't go bankrupt from a hospital visit - but the details will catch you off guard. Healthcare is run by each province, not the federal government, so what you get depends on where you live. And some things you took for granted in the UK, like dental care and prescriptions, aren't covered at all.

How Canadian Healthcare Works

Canada's healthcare system is called Medicare (not to be confused with the US or Australian system of the same name). It's publicly funded through taxes, but delivered by each province and territory individually. This means your coverage depends on where you live:

• Ontario - OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)
• British Columbia - MSP (Medical Services Plan)
• Alberta - AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan)
• Quebec - RAMQ (Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec)

Each province has its own registration process, and you'll need to sign up as soon as you arrive in your new province.

The Waiting Period

Most provinces have a waiting period before your provincial health insurance kicks in. This is typically three months from the date you establish residency, though it varies by province:

What's Covered

Under provincial health insurance, you're covered for:

• Doctor visits (GP and specialist)
• Hospital stays, surgery, and emergency care
• Diagnostic tests (X-rays, blood tests, MRIs)
• Maternity and prenatal care
• Mental health services (psychiatrists covered, psychologists usually not)

What's NOT Covered

This is the part that surprises most Brits. The following are generally not covered by provincial health plans:

• Dental care - not covered at all for adults. A basic checkup and clean costs CAD $200-$400. This is the biggest gap for most people.
• Prescription drugs - coverage varies by province. Some provinces cover low-income residents, seniors, or specific conditions, but most working-age adults pay out of pocket or through employer insurance.
• Vision care - eye exams and glasses are not covered for most adults. An eye exam costs CAD $80-$150.
• Physiotherapy - limited coverage in most provinces. Private physiotherapy sessions cost CAD $80-$120 each.
• Ambulance services - yes, really. Ambulance rides typically cost CAD $50-$500 depending on the province, even with provincial health insurance.
• Psychology and counselling - psychiatrists (medical doctors) are covered, but psychologists and therapists generally are not. Sessions cost CAD $150-$250 each.

Finding a Family Doctor

This is one of the biggest challenges in Canadian healthcare right now. There's a significant shortage of family doctors (GPs) across the country, and millions of Canadians don't have one. As a newcomer, you may end up on a waiting list.

How to find a doctor:

• Check your province's doctor-finding registry (Ontario has Health Care Connect, BC has the Find a Doctor tool)
• Call clinics directly and ask if they're accepting new patients
• Ask neighbours, colleagues, and community groups for recommendations
• Use walk-in clinics for non-urgent care while you wait (no appointment needed, but you'll see whoever is available)
• Consider virtual care platforms like Maple or Telus Health for minor issues

Walk-In Clinics

Walk-in clinics are the Canadian equivalent of showing up at a GP surgery without an appointment. They're everywhere in cities and larger towns, and they're your primary option for non-emergency care if you don't have a family doctor.

Walk-in visits are covered by provincial health insurance, there's no charge. But you'll see a different doctor each time, there's often a long wait, and they typically won't manage ongoing conditions. Think of them as a stopgap, not a replacement for a regular GP.

Emergency Care

Emergency rooms work similarly to A&E in the UK, they triage by severity and treat the most urgent cases first. Wait times can be very long for non-life-threatening conditions, sometimes 6-12 hours or more. This is a known issue across Canada.

For non-emergency situations, use walk-in clinics or urgent care centres instead of the ER. Urgent care centres are designed for issues that need same-day attention but aren't life-threatening, like minor fractures, cuts needing stitches, or persistent vomiting.

Private Health Insurance

In Canada, private health insurance doesn't replace the public system (you can't pay to skip the queue for medically necessary services). Instead, it covers the things provincial insurance doesn't: dental, prescriptions, vision, massage therapy, physiotherapy, and other paramedical services.

Most people get private coverage through their employer's benefits plan. If you're self-employed or your employer doesn't offer benefits, you can buy individual plans from providers like Sun Life, Manulife, or Blue Cross.

Prescriptions and Pharmacy

Bring your current prescriptions and a letter from your UK GP listing your medications, dosages, and conditions. Canadian pharmacists can often provide a short-term supply of ongoing medications while you establish care with a Canadian doctor.

Without insurance, common prescriptions can cost significantly more than NHS prescription charges. Some provinces have pharmacare programs for low-income residents or those without employer coverage (Ontario's Trillium Drug Program, BC's Fair PharmaCare), so check what's available in your province.

Mental Health Support

Publicly funded mental health support is limited but available. Psychiatrists are covered by provincial insurance (with a GP referral), but wait times for an appointment can be months. For more immediate support:

• Community mental health centres offer free or low-cost counselling
• Crisis lines are available 24/7 (Canada's Crisis Services line is 988)
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) through your employer typically include several free counselling sessions
• Virtual therapy platforms can be faster than in-person referrals

Before You Leave the UK

Take care of these healthcare tasks before you move:

• Get a full dental checkup and any outstanding treatment done on the NHS while you still can
• Stock up on any prescription medications (ask your GP for a longer-than-usual supply)
• Get a letter from your GP with your full medical history, medication list, and vaccination records
• Have an eye test and order spare glasses or contact lenses
• Buy private health insurance to cover the provincial waiting period (if applicable)

Information in this article is based on publicly available data from Health Canada, provincial health ministries, and the Canadian Medical Association as of August 2026. Healthcare policies vary by province and change regularly, so verify current eligibility and coverage with your provincial health authority.