Ontario plans primary care expansion for 300,000 residents

Ontario is launching a significant initiative to expand access to primary care by creating up to 80 new or expanded primary care teams aimed at connecting 300,000 residents with healthcare providers. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced $213 million in funding as part of a larger $1.8 billion investment plan that seeks to guarantee primary care access for all Ontarians by 2029. The focus will be on areas with the highest number of residents currently lacking a family doctor, identified by postal codes. The new teams will include various healthcare professionals and will draw patients from Ontario's Health Care Connect waitlist. This effort follows a previous rollout of similar teams that have already started operating successfully, with a commitment to alleviate the growing number of Ontarians without a regular healthcare provider. The government is optimistic that these measures will advance their goal to connect every resident to primary care services.