TORONTO — Ontario is halfway to its first major milestone in ensuring every resident has access to primary care, following a significant reduction in the provincial Health Care Connect (HCC) waitlist. The update marks tangible progress under the province’s $2.1-billion Primary Care Action Plan, part of a broader effort to modernize and expand access to front-line health services.
The Ministry of Health confirmed this week that the number of Ontarians waiting to be matched with a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or primary care team has been cut by 50 per cent since January 1, 2025. The government’s goal is to connect all 235,000 individuals who were on the HCC list at the start of the year to a provider by spring 2026.
“By reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist, our government is keeping our commitment to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We’re going to continue delivering record investments and improvements to Ontario’s health-care system so we can connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Coordinated Effort Across Ontario’s Health Network
Health Care Connect serves as a central referral pathway for Ontarians without a family doctor or nurse practitioner, helping match patients to available clinicians in their communities. The program’s recent progress, government officials say, reflects stronger collaboration between Ontario Health Teams, their Primary Care Networks, and Ontario Health atHome Care Connectors, which collectively identify and attach patients to care.
“Reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist from January 1 by over 50 per cent is a major milestone and demonstrates tangible progress in connecting more people to ongoing care,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of the province’s Primary Care Action Team. “This reflects the dedication of clinicians and teams across the province who are working tirelessly to attach patients and expand access to comprehensive, connected and convenient care.”
Record Investments Driving Progress
The government attributes the sharp reduction in wait times to unprecedented funding and rapid implementation of new primary care infrastructure.
In June, Ontario announced a $235-million investment to establish and expand over 130 primary care teams, expected to connect more than 300,000 people to ongoing care. Some of these teams have already begun accepting new patients, focusing first on individuals identified through the HCC system.
A subsequent $250-million commitment was unveiled later in the year, supporting the creation of approximately 75 additional teams to serve another 500,000 residents. These investments are prioritized toward communities with the greatest need and are critical to meeting the government’s 2026 and 2029 targets.
In addition, the province is investing $22 million over two years to help Ontario Health Teams and Primary Care Networks attach patients more efficiently. This funding supports administrative and clinical coordination tasks such as updating medical histories, ensuring medication reviews, and scheduling preventive care services like cancer screening. The intent, officials say, is to guarantee that “high-quality care can be delivered from day one.”
Building a Sustainable Health System
The province’s broader health strategy — Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care — aims to make primary care more accessible and sustainable by addressing systemic gaps in staffing, coordination, and accessibility. As part of this long-term plan, Ontario has committed to connecting two million more people to primary care by 2029.
Ontario’s approach, guided by its Primary Care Action Team, draws on best-in-class models of care that emphasize teamwork, patient navigation, and digital integration. The plan is supported by the Primary Care Act, passed in 2024, which formally establishes primary care as the cornerstone of Ontario’s publicly funded health system and outlines six core objectives defining what patients can expect when seeking care.
Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 physicians to its health workforce — a 14 per cent increase in family doctors — and implemented measures to make it easier for U.S.-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to practise in the province. So far in 2025, nearly 1,400 nurses and more than 260 doctors have relocated to Ontario under the streamlined process.
Looking Ahead
With the waitlist reduced by half and hundreds of thousands more Ontarians set to be connected in the coming year, the government’s efforts mark a turning point for a system long strained by shortages and uneven access.
For Jones and her ministry, the results underscore a broader message about transformation and trust. “We’re going to continue delivering record investments and improvements to Ontario’s health-care system so we can connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029,” she reiterated.
As Ontario nears its spring 2026 goal, the province’s progress signals that a more connected and equitable health system may finally be within reach.
