TORONTO — Ontario is expanding access to family doctors and primary care teams in Toronto as part of a $3.4-billion provincial strategy aimed at connecting every resident with primary care by 2029.
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones highlighted the progress during a visit to the Women’s College Academic Family Health Team in Toronto. The organization is among nearly 200 new or expanded teams receiving funding through Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan.
The Women’s College team received more than $3.3 million through the 2025–26 call for proposals and began enrolling additional patients in August 2025. Since then, it has connected more than 10,000 patients with care, exceeding its initial target of 7,825 by nearly 30 per cent.
Toronto Primary Care Team Surpasses Patient Target
The provincial government says expanding team-based primary care is intended to give patients more consistent access to doctors, nurse practitioners and other health professionals while reducing pressure on hospital emergency departments.
“As we work to connect everyone to primary care by 2029, our government is protecting Ontario’s health-care system by investing in new and expanded primary care teams in Ontario communities, including Toronto, that will keep families healthier while relieving pressures on emergency departments,” said Minister Jones. “We encourage those looking for a new primary care clinician to sign up for Health Care Connect, the fastest and most seamless way to get connected to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team.”
Ontario says nearly 90 per cent of residents are currently connected to a primary care provider. Residents who do not have a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team can register with the province’s Health Care Connect program.
Primary Care Action Plan Targets Two Million Patients
The province established its Primary Care Action Plan in January 2025 after appointing Dr. Jane Philpott as chair of the Primary Care Action Team in October 2024.
Ontario says the strategy is expected to connect approximately two million additional residents with primary care by 2029.
Two rounds of provincial funding have so far resulted in 199 successful applications for new or expanded interprofessional primary care teams. Those projects are expected to connect about 800,000 additional patients across Ontario.
The latest funding round includes 124 successful applicants that are expected to connect another 500,000 patients, including people already registered on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Province Investing in Digital Records and Health Workforce
Ontario is also developing a provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system designed to improve the exchange of patient information and reduce administrative workloads for health-care professionals.
The government says the system is expected to improve coordination between providers while allowing clinicians to spend more time delivering direct patient care.
Workforce expansion is another component of the province’s strategy. Since 2018, Ontario says it has added more than 20,000 physicians to its health-care workforce, 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 during 2025.
Women’s College Hospital Highlights Team-Based Care
Women’s College Hospital said provincial funding is helping expand both access and the use of interprofessional models in which patients receive care from teams with different areas of clinical expertise.
“Improving access to primary care is essential to building a more equitable and responsive health system. Through the Primary Care Action Plan investment, the Women’s College Hospital Family Practice Health Centre is already seeing a significant impact, connecting thousands of patients through community partnerships and Health Care Connect. This support is also advancing innovative models of team-based care, where patients benefit from the expertise of an interprofessional team. We are proud of the impact this work is having in expanding access, supporting proactive care and building a stronger primary care system for our communities.”
– Heather McPherson
President and CEO, Women’s College Hospital
The Toronto expansion forms part of Ontario’s broader effort to strengthen community-based care and shift more routine treatment away from hospitals. With hundreds of primary care teams receiving provincial support, the government’s central target remains connecting every Ontario resident with a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.