With Ontario facing a shortage of 35,000 family physicians, an estimated 2.5 million residents remain without access to a primary care provider, according to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). The issue is gaining significant attention as political parties gear up for the anticipated provincial election on February 27.
Recently, hundreds of residents braved the cold outside Walkerton Legion Hall in an effort to secure a family doctor, highlighting the severity of the crisis. The OMA warns that, without urgent intervention, the number of Ontarians without a family doctor could rise to 4.4 million by next year.
On January 27, the Progressive Conservative government pledged $1.4 billion in new funding and an additional $400 million in previously approved primary care funding to connect all Ontario residents to a family doctor within four years. The funding will support the expansion of 305 additional family health teams, aiming to connect two million people to primary care. More than $235 million is earmarked for 2025-26 to establish and expand 80 additional primary care teams, projected to connect 300,000 more people to family doctors this year.
While the OMA welcomed the funding, it emphasized the urgency of additional actions to prevent the crisis from worsening.
- Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie has pledged to guarantee a family doctor “close to home” for every Ontario resident by the end of the party’s first term.
- The Liberals propose a $3.1 billion investment to recruit and retain 3,100 family doctors by 2029.
- Plans include the creation of two new medical schools, doubling medical school spots, and expanding residency positions.
- Additional measures include incentives for rural and northern communities, virtual care expansion, and reducing administrative burdens on doctors.
- Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles aims to “unlock” health care by building integrated teams around family doctors, freeing up their time for patient care.
- The party estimates that nearly 40% of family doctors’ time is spent on administrative paperwork instead of seeing patients.
- Stiles criticized Premier Doug Ford’s handling of the health care system, pointing to emergency room closures and increased privatization under his leadership.