Ontario’s Health Plan Connects 275,000 More Residents to Care

Ontario’s Health Minister, Sylvia Jones, announced significant progress in connecting residents to primary care through the province’s ambitious Primary Care Action Plan. As of September 30, 2025, the initiative has successfully linked an additional 275,000 Ontarians to primary care services, bringing the total closer to the 300,000 target for the program’s first year.

The $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan was unveiled in December 2024, with the aim of ensuring every Ontarian who desires access to primary care is connected by the end of 2028-29. Jones expressed pride in the progress achieved thus far, emphasizing that the plan continues to meet its objectives and improve access to high-quality care.

Former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who is spearheading the province’s efforts, highlighted that the government has addressed 75 percent of the backlog from the Health Care Connect (HCC) waitlist as of January 1, 2025. Despite this progress, the waitlist has seen an influx of approximately 91,000 new individuals seeking connections to primary care.

Philpott noted the extensive work undertaken to enhance the waitlist system, including the validation of all names on the list and the establishment of clear targets for new health teams. As of September 2025, the government estimates that around 1.98 million Ontarians still require connection to primary care. This figure was adjusted based on updated methodologies developed by INSPIRE-PHC, a network of primary care researchers.

While the Ontario Medical Association previously challenged the government’s numbers, officials clarified that their data is based on more current insights. Philpott indicated the government is prepared to connect more than the anticipated 2 million patients, should population increases necessitate a revision of targets.

To achieve its goal, Ontario plans to attach over 500,000 individuals to primary care services annually from 2026-27 through 2028-29. However, concerns linger regarding the consistency of the province’s approach. In a recent report, Ontario’s auditor general, Shelley Spence, criticized the lack of a coherent strategy for improving access to primary care.

Spence’s audit revealed that more than half of those awaiting connection through HCC had been on the list for over a year. Furthermore, she identified significant discrepancies in wait times across the system and pointed out that the communications plan for HCC had not been updated since 2015, potentially contributing to a decrease in the number of individuals seeking assistance.

In response to the auditor’s findings, Jones’ office maintained that the report did not adequately reflect the investments made through the government’s Primary Care Action Team (PCAT). The province remains committed to enhancing primary care access, underscoring the importance of ongoing efforts to connect Ontarians with essential health services.