The Ontario government says its $3.4-billion Primary Care Action Plan has connected more than 511,000 additional people to a family doctor or primary care team, and that it is on track to connect everyone in the province by 2029.
The province says more than 470,000 people have been cleared from the Health Care Connect waitlist since January 2025, bringing wait times to their lowest levels in over a decade. The figures reflect attachment rates up to May 31, 2026, and the government says the number of people connected has continued to grow since then.
“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 Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones. “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 plan was launched in January 2025 to connect about two million more people to primary care. The 2026 provincial budget added $325 million annually, bringing the four-year investment to $3.4 billion. In September, the province launched a $250-million call for proposals to create and expand about 78 primary care teams that would connect 600,000 more people.
Dr. Jane Philpott, chair of the Primary Care Action Team, said there is more work ahead.
“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,” Philpott said. “While there is more work ahead, Ontario is making meaningful progress to connect every person to the care they need.”
The province says nearly 90 per cent of people in Ontario are connected to a primary care provider. Residents who are not can register through Health Care Connect at ontario.ca/healthcareconnect.
The government says it is adding 340 undergraduate medical seats and 551 postgraduate positions by 2028-29, a 67 per cent increase in family medicine graduates per year. It says Ontario has added more than 20,000 physicians since 2018, including an increase of more than 14 per cent in family doctors. In 2025, more than 2,300 nurses and more than 570 doctors from the United States chose to practise in Ontario.
