Ontario is launching a new $250 million funding call aimed at connecting another 600,000 residents with family doctors and primary care teams, marking the latest phase of the province’s broader $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan.
The provincial government said on September 29 that the funding will support the creation or expansion of approximately 78 primary care teams across Ontario. The initiative forms part of its target to connect every Ontario resident with a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.
Ontario Targets 600,000 Additional Primary Care Connections
“As we continue to make progress in connecting every person in Ontario to primary care by 2029, today’s launch of the next call for proposals brings us even closer to achieving our target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By attaching 600,000 more Ontarians to primary care, we are protecting our health-care system and making it easier for people to access the care they need.”
According to the province, nearly 90 per cent of Ontario residents are currently connected to a primary care provider. The government plans to add or expand more than 300 primary care teams as part of its strategy.
Since 2025, two previous funding rounds have resulted in 199 successful applicants expected to connect approximately 800,000 additional people to primary care.
Communities Invited to Submit Proposals
Communities across Ontario are eligible for the latest funding round. Physicians, primary care teams and other partners are being encouraged to work with their local Ontario Health Team or Primary Care Network. Indigenous partners can work directly with the Ministry of Health.
“Ontario continues to be on track to attach everyone to a family doctor or primary care team, and this next call for proposals is another important step forward,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. “By supporting the creation and expansion of primary care teams across the province, we can connect hundreds of thousands more people to the comprehensive, team-based care they need and continue delivering high-quality health care, close to home.”
The Primary Care Action Team, led by Philpott, was established on December 1, 2024. Its mandate is to help achieve province-wide access to primary care by 2029.
The province said 124 successful applicants received funding through the 2026-27 call for proposals. Those teams are expected to connect another 500,000 patients, including people registered on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Health Organizations Welcome Primary Care Investment
Several health-care organizations backed the latest funding announcement.
“Thank you to Minister Jones and the Ford government for providing this greatly needed investment in connecting patients with family doctors and primary care. Family physicians are the bedrock of Ontario’s health-care system, and connecting more patients to family doctors and primary care teams will improve access, strengthen continuity of care and lead to better health outcomes for all Ontarians.”
– Dr. Rebecca Hicks
President, Ontario Medical Association
“This next round of funding is another important step toward connecting every Ontarian to comprehensive, team-based primary care. We recognize the primary care teams and professionals across the province who are doing the work every day to expand access and respond to the needs of their communities. They are ready to grow, innovate, and do what they do best: care for more people. We welcome the government’s continued investment in primary care and look forward to working together to translate these investments into stronger teams, greater access and better care for Ontarians.”
– Jess Rogers
CEO, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
“This investment in expanding team-based care is welcome progress for family physicians and patients across Ontario. When we support family physicians, we help enable them to provide better care for patients with increasingly complex needs. The OCFP looks forward to continuing to work with government to build on this momentum and ensure more family physicians and patients across Ontario can access team-based supports.”
– Dr. Eric Wong
President, Ontario College of Family Physicians
“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. Doris Grinspun
CEO, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
“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.”
– Dr. Michelle Acorn
CEO, Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario
“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.”
– Sarah Hobbs
CEO, Alliance for Healthier Communities
Ontario Expands Health-Care Workforce
The funding push comes alongside provincial efforts to expand Ontario’s health-care workforce. The government says more than 20,000 physicians have been added since 2018, including an increase of more than 14 per cent in family doctors.
Ontario has also introduced measures intended to make it easier for U.S.-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to practise in the province. According to the government, more than 2,300 nurses and over 570 doctors from the United States chose to practise in Ontario in 2025.
Residents who do not currently have a family doctor or primary care provider can register through Health Care Connect as the province continues implementing its primary care expansion strategy.