Ontario is launching the next call for proposals for its Primary Care Action Plan in September 2026, a move the province says will connect 600,000 more people to a family doctor or primary care team through the creation or expansion of about 78 primary care teams.
Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, made the announcement Tuesday at the 2026 Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, unveiling a $250 million investment that is part of the government’s larger $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan.
“As we work to connect every person in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029, we’re making historic investments to bring more care directly into communities across the province,” Jones said. “This next call for proposals will connect 600,000 more people to family doctors and primary care teams, keep families healthier and relieve pressure on emergency departments.”
The Primary Care Action Team, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, was established on Dec. 1, 2024, with a mandate to connect every Ontarian to primary care by 2029. The Primary Care Action Plan followed on Jan. 27, 2025.
Ontario says nearly 90 per cent of residents are already connected to a primary care provider, and the province is aiming to add more than 300 new primary care teams to connect two million more people to care. Two rounds of funding so far have resulted in 199 successful applicants for new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams, connecting 800,000 more people to care. Since the plan launched, more than 437,000 people have been connected to primary care.
All Ontario Health Teams will receive guidance in September ahead of the call for proposals launch, and communities across the province will be eligible to apply.
“Every person in Ontario deserves access to a primary care team who knows them and can support their health over time,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, chair of the Primary Care Action Team. “The next call for proposals will help connect hundreds of thousands more people to comprehensive, team-based care in their communities and moves us closer to achieving our shared goal of connecting everyone to primary care by 2029.”
The government says 124 successful applicants are receiving funding for a new or expanded primary care team under the 2026-27 call for proposals, which will connect another 500,000 patients across the province, including people on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Primary care teams bring together doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, dietitians and other professionals under one roof. The province says timely access to primary care helps people stay healthier with faster diagnosis and treatment while easing pressure on emergency departments.
Ontario is also advancing a new provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system intended to integrate patient records, cut administrative burden for providers and improve co-ordination of care. Since 2018, the province says it has added more than 20,000 physicians to its health-care workforce, including a more than 14 per cent increase in family doctors. In 2025, more than 2,300 nurses and more than 570 doctors from the United States chose to practise in Ontario.
Dr. Rebecca Hicks, president of the Ontario Medical Association, welcomed the funding. “Thank you to Minister Jones and the Ford government for providing this greatly needed investment in connecting patients with family doctors and primary care. Team based care and integrating health-care professionals to work together to meet the needs of patients is vitally important to ensuring every Ontarian has access to health care.”
Jess Rogers, CEO of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, said the investment will help more teams reach more people. “We welcome today’s announcement, which will enable more primary care organizations to expand attachment to comprehensive, interprofessional care across Ontario. We recognize the primary care teams and professionals working every day to deliver high-quality care and meet the growing needs of their communities, and this investment will help more teams reach more people. We thank the Government of Ontario for continuing to prioritize primary care access and look forward to working with government and our health system partners to help connect every Ontarian to the primary care they need and deserve.”
Dr. Jobin Varughese, president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, said the investment supports family doctors facing increasingly complex patient needs. “Continued investment in primary care teams is good news for family physicians and patients across Ontario. By expanding access to team-based care, family doctors are better supported to respond to the increasingly complex needs of their patients. We are encouraged by the progress being made through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan and look forward to continuing to work with government to expand access to team-based resources for family physicians. Together, we must ensure every Ontarian can access a family physician and the primary care they need, when they need it.”
Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, said nurses will play a central role. “Every Ontarian deserves timely access to primary care close to home. RNAO welcomes this investment in interprofessional primary care teams and the government’s continued focus on connecting more people to care. Registered nurses and nurse practitioners are key to making this vision a reality.”
Dr. Michelle Acorn, CEO of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, echoed that sentiment. “This investment is a meaningful step toward strengthening primary care. Nurse practitioners play a critical, leading role to ensure Ontarians are attached and receiving the timely and high-quality care that they deserve. This investment is an opportunity to build stronger, more sustainable primary care teams that can meet the needs of our province’s diverse communities, no matter where they are located.”
Sarah Hobbs, CEO of the Alliance for Healthier Communities, said the funding needs to reach communities with the greatest need. “This additional investment is an important step toward ensuring that more people in Ontario have access to the primary care they need, when and where they need it. Our members across the province are ready to build on this momentum. As community-governed primary care organizations, they are deeply rooted in the communities they serve and are responding every day to the unique needs of people who face barriers to care. Our members know that improving access is about more than increasing the number of people attached to a primary care provider. It means creating care that is welcoming, culturally responsive, accessible and designed around the realities of people’s lives. We look forward to working with the government and our partners to ensure this investment reaches communities where the need is greatest and helps build a primary care system where everyone in Ontario can get the care they need.”
Residents can register for a family doctor or nurse practitioner through Health Care Connect at Ontario.ca/HealthCareConnect or by calling 811.
