ER Physician Exodus Signals Systemic Healthcare Failure
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A new study reveals 10% of emergency doctors have left the profession, raising alarms over patient safety and system stability.
A study published in the *Canadian Medical Association Journal* reveals a critical shortage of emergency medicine physicians, finding that one in 10 doctors have recently stopped working in emergency departments, as CityNews Toronto first reported. The research, which tracked physicians from April 2020 through January 2025, highlights a workforce in crisis due to high burnout and a perceived systemic failure.
According to reporting from CityNews Toronto, the 2025 survey data indicates that 20% of respondents took time away from emergency medicine, while nearly 50% reduced their clinical hours. Dr. Kerstin de Wit, a Queen’s University professor and study co-author, told CityNews that physicians are frequently working beyond their scheduled shifts due to staffing shortages. Dr. de Wit noted that patients often wait up to 12 hours in waiting rooms, causing significant distress among medical staff.
Dr. Catherine Varner, a deputy editor of the *Canadian Medical Association Journal*, expressed concern over a lack of replacement physicians and warned that continued overcrowding could lead to more "waiting room deaths." Dr. Mayoorendra Ravichandiran, deputy chief of emergency medicine with the Scarborough Health Network, described the emergency department as the "canary in the coal mine" for broader systemic issues, noting that doctors must continue seeing patients even when beds are limited.
In a statement to CityNews, a spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, Lily Barnes, said Ontario doctors have the highest compensation in the country. Barnes highlighted a $3.4-billion primary care action plan intended to reduce unnecessary ER visits and noted that emergency department volumes have declined by nearly 200,000 visits.