Monday, October 26, 2026
Ontario Connects Over Half a Million More People to a Family Doctor or Primary Care Team
$3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan has connected over 511,000 more people to care, on track to attach everyone by 2029
Ontario leads the country in access to primary care and launched its $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan in 2025 to close the remaining gap and connect everyone to a family doctor or primary care team. Now in its second year, the plan has made significant progress, already connecting more than 511,000 additional people to a primary care provider. More than 470,000 people have been cleared from the Health Care Connect waitlist since January 2025, bringing wait times down to their lowest levels in over a decade. The province continues to exceed its initial targets and is on track to connect every person in Ontario to a primary care provider by 2029.
“Our government’s plan to protect Ontario’s health-care system is delivering real results as Ontario continues to lead the country in access to primary care,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made since launching our Primary Care Action Plan less than two years ago. We’re ahead of schedule and firmly on track to connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
The government announced Dr. Jane Philpott as the chair of its Primary Care Action Team in October 2024 with a mandate to connect every Ontarian to primary care by 2029. Building on this appointment, Ontario established the Primary Care Action Plan in January 2025 to connect approximately two million more people to primary care, supported by the province’s historic investment of more than $3.4 billion.
Since launching the plan, the province has taken a number of actions to advance its goal, including:
- February 2024: Ontario announced the first expansion of primary care teams in more than a decade, investing more than $110 million that connected over 610,000 people to primary care.
- December 2024: Based on the success of the recent primary care team expansion, Ontario established the Primary Care Action Team (PCAT), led by Dr. Jane Philpott.
- January 2025: The government launched the Primary Care Action Plan, with the goal of attaching everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team by 2029, supported by a historic $2.1 billion provincial investment.
- April 2025: Supported by a $235 million investment, the government launched the 2025-26 call for proposals to connect 300,000 more people to a primary care provider.
- September 2025: Supported by a $250 million investment, the government launched the 2026-27 call for proposals that will connect 500,000 more people to a primary care provider. 124 proposals representing over 190 new and expanded primary care teams were successful.
- March 2026: Through the 2026 Ontario Budget, the government invested an additional $325 million annually in the Primary Care Action Plan, increasing the four-year investment to $3.4 billion.
- September 2026: Supported by a $250 million investment, the government launched the 2027-28 call for proposals to create and expand approximately 78 primary care teams that will connect 600,000 more people to primary care.
- October 2026: Clearing more than 470,000 people from the Health Care Connect waitlist and bringing wait times down to their lowest levels in over a decade.
These steps have resulted in more than 511,000 Ontarians getting connected to a family doctor or primary care team. These numbers reflect attachment rates up to May 31, 2026, with the number of Ontarians connected to primary care continuing to grow in the months since.
“Primary care is the first place people turn to when they need support, whether welcoming a new baby, managing a chronic condition, or caring for an aging parent. Having a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or primary care team means having a trusted partner who knows your health history and can provide personalized care throughout every stage of life,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. “While there is more work ahead, Ontario is making meaningful progress to connect every person to the care they need.”
While Ontario continues to lead the country with nearly 90 per cent of people connected to a primary care provider, the province has set clear goals to connect every person to primary care by 2029. The province encourages all residents to get connected to primary care by registering through Health Care Connect at Ontario.ca/healthcareconnect.
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
Quick Facts:
- The government is investing in the largest medical school education expansion in more than a decade by adding 340 undergraduate seats and 551 postgraduate positions by 2028-29, representing a 67 per cent increase in family medicine graduates per year.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added over 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
- Ontario is taking significant steps to strengthen its health-care workforce by making it easier for US-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to move to and practise in Ontario. In 2025, over 2,300 nurses and more than 570 doctors from the U.S. chose to practise in Ontario.
Quotes:
"Our government, under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford, is delivering on its commitment to strengthen primary care across Ontario. Through our historic investments in health care, more people are being connected to family doctors and primary care teams, wait times are being reduced, and patients are receiving the care they need closer to home. This progress is being felt here in Eglinton-Lawrence, where the North Western Toronto Ontario Health Team has successfully cleared its Health Care Connect waitlist, helping connect more residents to primary care. Today's announcement demonstrates the progress our government is making as we continue building a stronger, more connected health-care system for families across the province."
- Michelle Coope, MPP for Eglinton—Lawrence
"This achievement demonstrates the power of partnership. By bringing together Vibrant Community Health, Sunnybrook, the North Toronto Ontario Health Team, our Primary Care Network partners, and community partners, we were able to rapidly expand access to primary care and connect thousands of residents to care. Our unique collaborative model leverages the strengths of community organizations, hospitals, and primary care providers to meet local needs, and it demonstrates how integrated partnerships can deliver sustainable improvements in access to care."
- Lori Brady, Vice President, Integrated Care and Systems Partnerships, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
"Ontario's investments in primary care are making a meaningful difference for communities across the province, including here in North Toronto. In July, Vibrant Community Health and the Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team, in partnership with five community primary care sites, connected more than 10,000 patients to primary care. This milestone demonstrates the impact of strong local partnerships and sustained provincial investment in expanding access to primary care teams. We are proud to be part of this important work and grateful for the support in continuing our efforts to help more residents get connected to the care they need."
- Dr. Andy Smith, President and CEO, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
"Vibrant Community Health is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can access the care they need. Through the Primary Care Action Team initiative, 7,231 residents in North Toronto have already been connected to team-based primary care through Vibrant and our community primary care partners. For equity-deserving populations, access to primary care can mean earlier intervention, better management of chronic conditions, and a trusted health-care partner who understands their needs. We are grateful for the investment in this work to help create a more equitable health-care system and improve health outcomes for everyone in our community."
- Cameron Dunkin, Executive Director, Vibrant Community Health
Additional Resources:
Media Contacts:
Lily Barnes
Minister Jones’ Office
Lily.Barnes@ontario.ca
Media Relations
Communications Branch
media.moh@ontario.ca
|