The Ontario government is committing an additional $30 million to expand and strengthen the province’s primary care workforce, a move it says will help connect more residents to family doctors and primary care teams while easing pressure across the health-care system.
Announced in Brampton, the investment forms part of Ontario’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan and is expected to add nearly 1,800 health-care workers to primary care teams. The funding will support the upskilling of more than 1,400 registered nurses, the creation of 170 new primary care nurse practitioner education seats, and up to 150 new physician assistant education seats, with the goal of connecting every Ontarian to primary care by 2029.
“Our government is continuing to take bold action to further protect Ontario’s world-class health-care workforce now and for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing the number of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, while upskilling registered nurses, we are taking one more step towards our goal of ensuring everyone can connect to primary care.”
A key component of the funding is a new $4.5 million primary care upskilling program for registered nurses. Launching this year, the 12-week program will provide additional education and hands-on training in areas such as chronic disease management, cancer screening, maternal and child care, and immunizations. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate enabling them to work more effectively in primary care settings.
The program will be delivered in partnership with Conestoga College, Lakehead University, Trent University and Western University. The province says the initiative is among the first of its kind in Canada and is designed to free up time for family doctors and nurse practitioners to focus on patients with more complex needs.
“Today’s investment builds on our government’s critical work to protect Ontario’s health-care workforce today, and into the future,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “This new upskilling program and seat expansions will ensure that Ontario continues to have highly skilled workers to connect more people across the province to compassionate health care, close to home.”
In addition to the nursing upskilling initiative, Ontario is investing $8.5 million to add up to 170 new primary care nurse practitioner education seats beginning this year. The new seats will be distributed across multiple institutions, including Lakehead University, Laurentian University, McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Toronto, the University of Windsor, Western University and York University.
“Strengthening Ontario’s primary care system depends on a highly skilled health workforce,” said Jane Philpott, Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. “These new education and upskilling initiatives will help ensure that nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are equipped to provide the comprehensive, team-based care Ontarians rely on, close to home.”
Further expanding the care team model, the government will invest $16 million starting in the 2026–27 academic year to create up to 150 new physician assistant education seats at Ontario universities. Physician assistants work under the supervision of physicians and alongside other health professionals to help reduce wait times and improve access to care, particularly in primary care settings.
Local and sector leaders welcomed the announcement, noting its potential impact on access to care and workforce sustainability. “This $30 million investment is about strengthening primary care where it matters most, in our communities and close to home,” said Charmaine Williams, MPP for Brampton Centre. “By expanding and upskilling our nursing workforce and growing the next generation of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, Ontario is taking decisive action to build a resilient health-care system that delivers for Brampton and communities across the province.”
Post-secondary institutions and professional associations also voiced support. Mohamed Lachemi, president and vice-chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University, said the expansion of nurse practitioner seats will allow the university to educate more students needed across the province. Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, described the combined nursing investments as a significant step toward improving access and continuity of care.
The funding builds on broader efforts under Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, which includes the largest medical school expansion in more than a decade and initiatives to attract internationally trained professionals. Since the launch of the Primary Care Action Plan, the province says more than 275,000 patients have already been connected to a primary care provider, keeping Ontario on track to meet its 2025–26 targets and its longer-term goal of universal access by 2029.
Together, the latest investments underscore Ontario’s strategy of using team-based care and targeted workforce expansion to stabilize and modernize primary care, ensuring more residents can access timely, high-quality health services close to home.
