Ontario announces $235M in funds to support primary health-care teams

The Ford government has recently announced a significant investment of $235 million in new funding to support the establishment of 130 new and expanded primary care teams in Ontario. These teams will play a crucial role in connecting more Ontarians to essential primary health care services this year.
The primary care teams were carefully selected through a call for proposals launched in April, with a focus on communities that have the highest number of residents lacking access to primary health care. Health Minister Sylvia Jones shared that these teams are expected to connect around 300,000 people to primary care within the current year.
Minister Jones emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting Ontario’s health-care system and ensuring that every individual in the province has access to a primary care provider for years to come. The new funding is part of the government’s Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to ensure that all Ontarians are connected to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team by 2026.
According to the Ontario Medical Association, approximately 2.5 million people in the province currently do not have a family doctor, and this number is projected to increase to over 4.4 million by 2026 if no action is taken. The Primary Care Action team chair, Dr. Jane Philpott, expressed excitement about the upcoming launch of the primary care teams and emphasized that they will serve as the front door to care, providing timely and comprehensive support led by family doctors or nurse practitioners.
While the selected primary care teams will start accepting patients in the coming weeks and months, the province has also announced plans for a second call for proposals in September for eligible teams that were not selected for funding in the current round. These teams will be encouraged to refine and resubmit their proposals for consideration.
In addition to the initial funding allocation, primary care teams will receive $142 million in operational funding over the next three years to support the recruitment and retention of essential health-care workers. This funding can be utilized for hiring non-physician team members such as nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists.
The government’s investment in expanding primary care teams underscores its commitment to improving access to essential health services for all Ontarians and ensuring the sustainability of the province’s health-care system for years to come.