The Ontario government has opened a new call for proposals to create and expand about 75 primary care teams, part of a $250-million investment officials say will connect another 500,000 people with a family doctor, nurse practitioner or team-based clinic.
The funding is the latest step in the province’s $2.1-billion Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect every Ontarian to primary care by 2029.
“Our government is delivering on our plan to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care, when and where they need it, for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, in a statement Monday. “These new and expanded primary care teams bring us one step closer to fulfilling that promise as we continue to make record investments in primary care to protect Ontario’s health-care system.”
Officials say the expansion builds on a $235-million investment announced in June, which funded more than 130 new and expanded primary care teams that are expected to serve 300,000 patients, some of which have already started accepting new patients.
Communities across Ontario can apply for the new round of funding, with Ontario Health Teams receiving guidance on how many proposals to submit based on the number of residents in their area still not connected to care. The government says priority will be given to individuals currently on the Health Care Connect waitlist, which has dropped by more than 98,000 people — or 42 per cent — since January.
The province expects to announce successful applications in spring 2026, with additional funding rounds to follow.
“Together we are building a primary care system that is truly comprehensive, convenient and connected – one that serves every person in Ontario,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team. “Thanks to historic investments from the government, we’re making tangible progress in improving access to primary care and attaching every person to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team.”
Through its broader Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province says it is also expanding Ontario’s health-care workforce and strengthening local services so families have access to care closer to home.
