Ontario is opening a new call for proposals in September that the province says will connect an additional 600,000 people to a family physician or primary care team. The initiative is backed by a $250-million investment, part of the provincial government’s broader $3.4-billion Primary Care Action Plan launched in January 2025.
What the new funding will do
The province says the upcoming round aims to create or expand roughly 78 interprofessional primary care teams. These teams — which pair family physicians with other health professionals — are intended to bring care closer to communities, reduce reliance on emergency departments and strengthen longitudinal access to primary care.
“As we work to connect every person in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029, we’re making historic investments to bring more care directly into communities across the province,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.
The announcement was made at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, where the government framed the funding as a continuation of efforts to ensure universal access to primary care by 2029. The Ministry of Health established a Primary Care Action Team in December 2024, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, to advise on achieving that goal.
Progress so far and targets
Ontario reports it already connects nearly 90 per cent of residents to a primary care provider. Since launching the plan, the province says:
- Two prior funding rounds yielded 199 successful applicants for new and expanded primary care teams;
- Those initiatives were aimed at connecting about 800,000 people to primary care;
- To date, the government states more than 437,000 people have been connected to primary care under the plan.
Officials describe the September call as another step toward the province’s pledge to add over 300 new primary care teams and connect two million more people to primary care by 2029.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| New investment (September call) | $250 million |
| People to be connected by this call | 600,000 |
| Total Primary Care Action Plan funding | $3.4 billion |
| People connected so far under the plan | 437,000 |
| Successful applicants in earlier rounds | 199 |
Why primary care capacity matters
Primary care is widely recognised as the foundation of an effective health system: it provides ongoing management of chronic conditions, preventive care and timely assessment for acute problems. Provincial officials argue that bolstering primary care capacity will help keep people healthier and ease pressure on emergency departments, which have faced crowding and long waits in many jurisdictions.
The government’s plan centres on interprofessional teams — clinics where family physicians work alongside nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and other allied professionals — as a way to expand the types of services available and share patient loads. The model can improve continuity of care for patients with complex needs and allow physicians to focus on cases that require their expertise.
Next steps and questions ahead
The call for proposals will open in September; details about application criteria, geographic priorities and timelines for when new or expanded teams will begin serving patients were not released in the announcement. Municipalities and community organisations will be eligible to apply, according to the government.
Observers and health stakeholders will be watching how the new teams are distributed across urban, suburban and rural communities, and how the province measures successful attachment of patients to ongoing primary care. The broader aim — universal attachment to primary care by 2029 — remains ambitious and will require sustained funding, workforce planning and coordination with other parts of the health system.
The government’s announcement represents a significant infusion of resources into primary care in Canada’s largest province and signals continued focus on preventing hospital visits through better access to family physicians and team-based care.
