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As Canada's population ages, more and more patients are suffering from a host of chronic diseases, but there are too few general practitioners and specialists across the country to provide timely and quality care, a survey of doctors concludes.

In the 2007 National Physician Survey, released Wednesday, 80 per cent of doctors pointed to patients with chronic diseases as placing the biggest demand on their time.

Doctors said they are seeing more Canadians with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and mental health issues.

“Canada needs a co-ordinated, pan-Canadian approach to educate, train, recruit and retain a sufficient number of physicians to meet the needs of an aging population with multiple health problems,” Dr. Louise Samson, president of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, said in a release.

The survey also found:

• 86 per cent of family physicians provide care for patients with chronic mental illnesses.

• 88 per cent of family doctors care for patients with heart disease and high blood pressure.

• More than 70 per cent of cancer specialists say inadequate levels of funding and medical personnel are major barriers to treating patients.

• Half of the endocrinologists (who treat diabetes and hormonal disorders) rated access to family doctors for their patients as poor.

“Limited access to family physicians and other specialist physicians is putting undue pressure on overloaded emergency departments,” noted Dr. Ruth Wilson, president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. “The emergency department has become the back door to our health system, which is not appropriate, efficient or cost-effective.”

The survey, which gathers the opinions of physicians, second-year residents and medical students from across Canada, is a joint undertaking of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Generalist specialists like family physicians, internists, pediatricians and general surgeons are already facing shortages, and the survey suggests the staffing crunch will grow worse as a large number of practitioners in these areas say they plan to retire within the next two years.

“The broad-based care that generalists provide is especially crucial in smaller communities,” said CMA president Dr. Brian Day. “These physicians are already facing difficult conditions, with many 55 years or older, and many not only reducing their work hours but also planning to retire in the near future.”

More than 19,000 doctors took part in the survey, which is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.