Canada

I'm not surprised hospitals are still loaded. Covid's preventable "temporary" (2yr?3?) hit to hospitals incited people to retire in a permanent fashion. Now any issues with loading and staffing are complicated by recruitment from a really small pool. And family doctors? No one wants to be a family doctor.

While the plural of 'anecdote' isn't 'data', I can confirm that wait times for injuries are stilll somewhat short. It's proper triage in action. Procedures are scheduled fast and the cancellation call list is still your friend. If you're coughing and it sounds like one of the big-three illnesses that are going to be a check-and-release kinda deal, you're going to be there for-ev-er. I'd like to see a second queue to cherry-pick the fevers and colds and get their assessment out of the way, but working that will be a challenge.

It's gonna be a rough winter, and I'm gonna have my face-diaper when I'm in groups or on transit. I don't need that hassle.

But if you miss your doctor, thank your closest anti-vax horse-paste hillbilly; and Fox news for weaponizing them into belligerent know-it-all obstructionists. I haven't heard a retirement story that doesn't include a "belligerent advocate" trigger.