Canada Medical Tests & Imaging Guide: Blood Work, X-ray, MRI, CT

How a requisition works

Your doctor gives you a requisition form (paper or electronic). For blood work, you take it to any lab of your choice — no appointment needed at most locations. For imaging, the doctor's office usually faxes it to a radiology clinic, which then calls you to book. Always confirm the clinic received it if you hear nothing within a week.

Blood work: LifeLabs and Dynacare

The two big lab chains are LifeLabs (BC, Ontario, and others) and Dynacare (Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba). With your health card and requisition, standard blood tests are covered — no payment. Most locations accept walk-ins; mornings are busiest. Fasting tests (cholesterol, glucose) require no food or drink except water for 8–12 hours — book early morning so you can eat right after.

X-ray and ultrasound: usually fast

For plain X-rays, many clinics take walk-ins and you are often seen within days. Ultrasounds need appointments but are typically booked within a few weeks — the Fraser Institute's 2025 survey reported a national median wait of 5.4 weeks for ultrasound. If your requisition is marked urgent (e.g., suspected fracture, pregnancy dating), you jump the queue.

MRI and CT: the long waits

These are the bottleneck. The Fraser Institute's 2025 physician survey reported national median waits of 18.1 weeks for MRI and 8.8 weeks for CT. Referrals are triaged by urgency — suspected cancer or acute neurological symptoms get scanned in days; a chronic knee issue waits months. You cannot speed this up by calling around: every facility draws from the same triage pool. If symptoms worsen, tell your doctor — re-triage as urgent is the legitimate fast track.

Getting your results

Results go to the ordering doctor, not to you directly. For blood work, results typically reach your doctor in a few days to a week; imaging reports take longer. Your doctor's office calls if something needs action — "no news" usually means normal, but call to confirm if you are anxious. Several provinces now have patient portals where you can view your own lab results: Ontario's Ontario Laboratories Information System feeds into some clinic portals, BC residents can check results on Health Gateway (healthgateway.gov.bc.ca), and Quebec has the Carnet santé Québec. Ask your clinic which portal they use.

Prep checklist

• Fasting blood work: nothing but water 8–12 hours before; morning appointments best.
• Ultrasound (abdominal/pelvic): often requires a full bladder — the clinic tells you how much water to drink and when.
• MRI: no metal — leave jewelry, watches, and anything magnetic at home; tell staff about implants, pacemakers, or metal fragments.
• CT with contrast: you may need to fast; tell staff about kidney problems or contrast allergies.

Costs

With a valid provincial health card, doctor-ordered blood work, X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CTs are covered — no charge at the point of care. Without coverage (e.g., during a waiting period), private imaging clinics exist in most provinces and charge out of pocket; blood work at private labs is also available for a fee.

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