Ontario seeks to add more primary care teams to attach 600,000 people
Written by The Canadian Press on August 18, 2026
TORONTO — Ontario will soon be putting out a call for proposals to create or expand 78 primary care teams, as it works toward a goal of attaching all Ontarians to primary care by 2029.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced today that 437,000 people have been connected to primary care since the government’s plan launched early last year.
The next round aims to attach another 600,000 people.
Jones’ commitment to ensuring everyone in Ontario has access to primary care consists of attaching two million people, but the Ontario Medical Association has said 2.5 million people do not have a family doctor.
Jones says the government is on track to reach its target.
The minister has been focusing on the expansion of interdisciplinary care, with teams that can include doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and other health professionals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press