The Ontario government says a new physician services agreement will help expand access to primary care and connect more residents to family doctors across the province.
The province announced Wednesday that its 2024–28 Physician Services Agreement is now in effect, with measures aimed at increasing compensation, improving access to care and attracting more doctors to Ontario.
“Ontario continues to lead the country with the highest rate of attachment to primary care, supported by the largest health-care workforce in Canada,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With this historic agreement coming into effect today, Ontario will be able to attract and retain more physicians, incentivize doctors to take on new patients and make primary care more connected, convenient and sustainable for years to come.”
The province says the agreement includes incentives to encourage doctors to accept new patients, enhanced compensation for after-hours care and additional supports for people with complex health needs.
Officials say the changes are also intended to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments by enabling more minor procedures to be performed in doctors’ offices, while new and modified programs will focus on recruiting physicians to rural and northern communities.
The agreement builds on broader health-care investments by the province, which reports adding 100,000 nurses and nearly 20,000 physicians in recent years, including a more than 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
Ontario says it has also connected more than 330,000 residents to ongoing primary care through its $3.4-billion Primary Care Action Plan, surpassing its 2025–26 target.
The government maintains it remains on track to connect every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029.
