Ontario Clears 87% of Family Doctor Waitlist

Ontario just hit a milestone in its fight against the family doctor shortage. More than 87 percent of people on the province's Health Care Connect waitlist have been removed — meaning the majority of the estimated 204,800 Ontarians who were waiting have now been attached to a primary care provider. Here is what this progress means, what it does not yet solve, and how to find care right now while you wait.

What Is Ontario's Primary Care Action Plan?

In January 2025, the Ontario government launched the Primary Care Action Plan under the leadership of Dr. Jane Philpott. The goal: connect every Ontarian to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.

The plan set an early target of attaching 300,000 people to ongoing primary care within the first year. Ontario exceeded that — roughly 330,000 people were attached by the end of 2025, surpassing the original goal by 10 percent.

The 2026 Budget Doubles Down

In the 2026 Ontario Budget, the province committed an additional $325 million to keep the momentum going. That brings the four-year total investment in primary care to $3.4 billion.

Key pieces of that money:

$3.1 billion to fund and expand primary care teams across Ontario
$300 million for new teaching clinics that will train the next generation of family doctors and nurse practitioners

For the 2026–27 fiscal year alone, the province approved 124 new primary care proposals, investing $250 million to connect an additional 500,000 Ontarians to a care team.

The province's roadmap projects attaching 2 million additional Ontarians to primary care by March 2029.

What "Attached to Primary Care" Actually Means

Being attached to a primary care provider means being rostered — that is, formally enrolled with a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or interprofessional team. It is different from a one-time walk-in visit. Attachment means you have an ongoing care relationship: someone who manages your chronic conditions, orders follow-up tests, and knows your history.

The WSIB data attached to this plan underscores why it matters: Ontarians with a family physician averaged 70 days off work after an injury versus 92 days for those without one — a 23 percent difference that translates directly into health and economic outcomes.

Is the Problem Solved?

Not entirely. While 87 percent of the waitlist has been cleared, "cleared" does not always mean everyone found a dedicated family doctor. Some people were connected to teams that include nurse practitioners and other providers rather than a physician. And the underlying shortage of family doctors — driven by training bottlenecks, burnout, and administrative burden — still exists.

The province is also modernizing the Health Care Connect system, with a target of reducing average wait times on the registry to 12 months. That means thousands of Ontarians may still wait up to a year for a rostered provider, even with the new investment.

And new patients continue to enter the system. Ontario's population is growing faster than primary care capacity is expanding, so the 2029 goal remains ambitious.

What to Do If You Still Don't Have a Family Doctor

If you are not yet attached to a primary care provider, here are the steps to take right now:

Register with Health Care Connect — call 1-800-445-1822 or visit the Health Care Connect page to put your name on the registry. Your information will be shared with family doctors and nurse practitioners who are accepting patients in your area.
Use a walk-in clinic for immediate needs — a walk-in clinic can treat most acute issues: infections, minor injuries, skin conditions, and prescription refills. You do not need a referral or health card appointment.
Check urgent care clinics — for concerns that need more attention than a walk-in but are not a 911 emergency, an urgent care clinic is faster than the ER and can handle X-rays, wound care, and IV fluids.
Try Health811 — dial 8-1-1 anytime to speak with a registered nurse who can advise on your symptoms, tell you where to go for care, and help you navigate Ontario's health system for free.
Ask about community health centres (CHCs) — CHCs accept patients regardless of ability to pay and often have shorter waitlists than traditional family practices. Search CanClinics by city to find a community health centre near you.

When to Go Straight to the ER (or Call 911)

No amount of primary care reform changes this: some symptoms cannot wait. Go to the nearest emergency department or call 911 if you experience:

Chest pain, pressure, or tightness
Sudden difficulty breathing
Signs of stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, speech trouble (think FAST)
Severe allergic reaction (throat swelling, can't breathe)
Uncontrolled bleeding or loss of consciousness

To find your closest emergency department and check live wait times, visit CanClinics ED Wait Times before you go.

A New Electronic Record System Is Coming

One underreported piece of Budget 2026: Ontario is building a provincewide electronic medical record (EMR) system to replace the thousands of disconnected systems currently in use across family practices.

The new system will allow any primary care provider you see — whether your regular doctor, a walk-in clinic, or a specialist — to access your records securely. This is a significant shift from today's fragmented setup, where a walk-in doctor often has no visibility into your medical history and must start from scratch.

The province has not announced a firm rollout date, but the initiative is funded and in active development.

What the Numbers Say About the Road Ahead

Year	Additional People Attached	Cumulative Total
2025–26	300,000	300,000
2026–27	500,000	800,000
2027–28	600,000	1.4 million
2028–29	600,000	2 million

These figures show how back-loaded the plan is. More than 70 percent of the new attachments are scheduled for 2027–29, meaning even with strong early momentum, most of the work is still ahead.

For Families and Children

If you have children who need a paediatrician or a family doctor who sees kids, search specifically for paediatric clinics in Ontario. Many interprofessional teams created under the Primary Care Action Plan include child health services.

For mental health support, several of the newly funded teams include embedded mental health practitioners — a meaningful step toward integrating psychological care into primary care.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get put on the Health Care Connect list? Call 1-800-445-1822 or visit ontario.ca. You will be added to a registry and notified when a family doctor or nurse practitioner in your area is accepting patients.

If the waitlist is 87% cleared, why can't I still find a family doctor? Waitlist reduction means people were matched — not necessarily to a family physician. Many were connected to interprofessional teams with nurse practitioners or other providers. The number of family doctors accepting new patients is still limited in many regions.

Can a walk-in clinic manage my ongoing prescriptions? Walk-in clinics can often renew short-term prescriptions. For chronic condition management or controlled substances, you need a rostered provider. Use a walk-in clinic near you as a bridge while you wait.

What is an interprofessional primary care team? These teams include doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other health professionals working together. Research shows they manage more complex conditions, keep patients out of the ER, and reduce wait times for specialist referrals.

Finding primary care in Ontario is genuinely getting easier — the numbers prove it. But until you are attached to a care team, CanClinics can help you find the nearest walk-in clinic, urgent care centre, or community health centre today.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal health decisions.

Source: Ontario's Primary Care Action Plan: Next Steps — Budget 2026