JOINT RELEASE – The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing more than $6.6 million this year to connect nearly 20,000 people to primary care.
Through this investment, the Barrie Community Health Centre and Barrie and Community Family Health Team will work collaboratively to improve access to primary care for people across Barrie and surrounding communities who are currently without a family doctor or nurse practitioner. This work builds on the ongoing collaboration through the Barrie and Area Ontario Health Team to improve access, coordination and patient experiences across the local health system.
The Barrie Community Health Centre and Barrie and Community Family Health Team was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Through the 2026 Budget, the province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Simcoe County, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.” Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
QUOTES
“Our government is taking steps to protect Ontario’s health care system and access to convenient local care by expanding primary care teams across the province, and in our region. This funding will help ensure all Ontarians will have access to a primary care provider in their community.” – Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte
“Our government is helping residents access the care they need by investing over $6 million, aimed at connecting nearly 20,000 to a primary care provider in Simcoe County. We are investing in interprofessional teams, expanding our healthcare workforce, and reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist.” – Andrea Khanjin, MPP for Barrie – Innisfil
“I am very pleased to see this investment that will support residents of Angus who are served by the Barrie Community Health Centre. It represents an important step toward improving access to primary care across Essa Township and throughout Simcoe County.” – Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe – Grey
“We know that access to primary care is foundational to better health outcomes and a stronger health system. This funding will allow us to expand access for unattached patients and continue building an integrated approach to care alongside our community partners.” – Kim Vickers, Executive Director, Barrie and Community Family Health Team.
“This investment is an important step toward improving equitable access to primary care in our community. Through collaboration with local partners, we are strengthening our ability to connect people to comprehensive, team-based care and ensure more residents can access the support they need, when and where they need it.” — Christine Colcy, Chief Executive Officer, Barrie Community Health Centre.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
- The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87
per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care. - Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
- Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.