Province aims to connect all residents to a family doctor by 2029
New compensation model and incentives target doctor shortages and patient access
TORONTO — The Ontario government has launched a new phase of its health-care strategy, implementing a province-wide agreement designed to improve access to primary care and attract more physicians, with the goal of connecting every resident to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
The initiative centres on the 2024–28 Physician Services Agreement, which took effect April 1 and introduces enhanced compensation, expanded incentives, and structural changes intended to strengthen the province’s primary care system.
“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.”
Focus on recruitment, retention and expanded services
The agreement introduces a range of measures aimed at addressing long-standing challenges in access to family doctors, particularly in underserved regions. These include improved compensation for existing physicians, an increase in entry positions for new doctors, and financial incentives to encourage practitioners to accept more patients into their care.
The province is also expanding after-hours access by offering enhanced payments to physicians who provide evening and weekend appointments, a move intended to reduce reliance on emergency departments for non-urgent care.
Patients with complex or serious health conditions are expected to benefit from additional supports, as physicians will receive bonuses for enrolling and managing these cases. The policy is designed to ensure that individuals with greater medical needs receive consistent and coordinated care.
In parallel, the agreement supports physicians in delivering more minor procedures within their own clinics, a change that could ease pressure on hospitals and improve system efficiency.
Addressing rural and northern disparities
A key component of the strategy targets physician shortages in rural and northern communities across Ontario. New and modified recruitment programs aim to attract doctors to these regions, where access to primary care has historically lagged behind urban centres.
The province says these measures build on broader workforce investments that have added approximately 100,000 nurses and nearly 20,000 physicians in recent years, including a more than 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
Progress toward province-wide coverage
Ontario has already made measurable progress under its $3.4-billion Primary Care Action Plan. According to government data, more than 330,000 residents have been newly connected to a primary care provider since the plan’s launch, exceeding the province’s 2025–26 target of 300,000.
This momentum positions the province to meet its longer-term objective of universal primary care access by 2029, a benchmark that has remained elusive in many parts of Canada.
Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicate that Ontario currently leads the country in the proportion of residents with access to a regular health-care provider.
Partnership with physicians key to implementation
The agreement was negotiated in collaboration with the Ontario Medical Association, which represents physicians across the province. The organization plays a central role in advocating for doctors’ working conditions and patient care improvements.
Ontario currently allocates more than $20 billion annually under the Physician Services Agreement to support access to doctors, including family physicians, specialists and other medical services.
An arbitration decision issued in September 2025 finalized funding terms for the remaining years of the agreement, providing what the province describes as stable, long-term financial support for physicians.
Long-term system sustainability
The new measures are part of the government’s broader health-care strategy, “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care,” which focuses on improving service integration, reducing wait times and strengthening workforce capacity.
By aligning physician compensation with patient needs and system priorities, the province aims to create a more sustainable primary care model that reduces hospital strain while improving patient outcomes.
Officials say the success of the agreement will ultimately depend on its ability to bring more doctors into the system and ensure that patients — particularly those with complex conditions or in underserved areas — can access timely, consistent care.