Ontario to Fund Over 130 New and Expanded Primary Care Teams in 2025
The Ontario government announced on June 23, 2025, that it will allocate $235 million to support more than 130 new and expanded primary care teams across the province this year, with a goal to connect 300,000 people to primary care. The Ministry of Health stated that this funding is part of a $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan. In addition, $142 million in operational funding will be provided over three years to recruit and retain health-care workers for these teams, including nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists.
The Ministry of Health reports that new primary care teams were selected based on community needs, determined by postal codes with the largest number of residents lacking access to primary care and those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. As of January 1, 2025, the waitlist included 235,000 people, which the ministry says has decreased by over 25 percent to date. The ministry’s stated goal is to connect everyone on the waitlist to primary care by spring 2026.
According to the province, the Flemingdon Health Centre in Toronto is receiving more than $4 million annually through this allocation. The Flemingdon Health Centre, part of the East Toronto Health Partners Ontario Health Team, is expected to help over 9,600 people access primary care, with a focus on patients with complex health needs.
The ministry also reports that $300 million is being allocated for up to 17 new and expanded community-based primary care teaching clinics in areas where many people lack access to primary care.
Ontario has passed the Primary Care Act, which establishes primary care as a foundation of the provincial health-care system and outlines objectives for the publicly funded primary care system. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 15,000 new physicians have joined Ontario’s health-care workforce since 2018, including an increase of over 10 percent in family doctors. A previous investment of $110 million in 2024, according to the ministry, helped connect 328,000 people to primary care.
The province states that teams not selected for funding in this round may have an opportunity to reapply in the next call for proposals, expected in September 2025. The Ministry of Health also reported it is making it easier for U.S.-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to practise in Ontario.