Ontario is marking major progress in its plan to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care team, cutting the Health Care Connect waitlist in half since the start of the year.
As part of its $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan, the government committed to connecting 235,000 people who were on the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025, by spring 2026. Officials say the province remains on track to meet that goal.
“By reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist, our government is keeping our commitment to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We’re going to continue delivering record investments and improvements to Ontario’s health-care system so we can connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Health Care Connect helps Ontarians without a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team find a clinician. Ontario Health Teams, Primary Care Networks and Ontario Health atHome Care Connectors are collaborating to match people on the list with available providers in their communities.
“Reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist from January 1 by over 50 per cent is a major milestone and demonstrates tangible progress in connecting more people to ongoing care,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, chair of the province’s Primary Care Action Team. “This reflects the dedication of clinicians and teams across the province who are working tirelessly to attach patients and expand access to comprehensive, connected and convenient care.”
The province credits its rapid investments and system-wide improvements for the progress. In June, Ontario announced $235 million to fund over 130 new and expanded primary care teams, connecting more than 300,000 people to care. A recent $250 million investment will add about 75 new or expanded teams to reach another 500,000 Ontarians.
Starting this year, the province is also investing more than $22 million over two years to support Ontario Health Teams and Primary Care Networks in attaching patients to care. That includes ensuring people are up-to-date on medication reviews, cancer screening and medical histories so that “high-quality care can be delivered from day one,” according to the Ministry of Health.
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, Ontario continues to grow its health-care workforce and strengthen access to primary care closer to home.
Jones said the government’s goal is clear: “We’re building a connected, convenient, and people-centred health-care system where every Ontarian has access to the primary care they need.”
