Patients in Ontario are giving up on the province’s single, centralized Health Care Connect (HCC) waitlist. Second, it fails to match people with primary care doctors. On December 2, 2025, Ontario’s Auditor General, Shelley Spence, released a report. The research behind this report illustrates that the HCC has let Ontarians down and desperately needs fundamental reforms to make it more effective, accountable and transparent.
Currently, as of 2024, nearly two million Ontarians are without a family doctor. As a reminder that the healthcare system is still in crisis, this staggering number underscores that reality. The HCC waitlist has skyrocketed to 178,000 registrants. More than 108,000 of these patients have been waiting more than a year to be connected with a primary care provider.
Taken at face value, the report paints a troubling systemic picture of the Ministry of Health. It points out that the HCC has not done enough to meet the needs of patients. Spence noted that “the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health did not consistently have processes in place to plan or oversee programs and initiatives to improve patients’ access to primary care providers.”
Issues with the Current System
Shelley Spence’s report outlines how numerous Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) had previously raised their frustration over the HCC model. In December 2024, several OHTs informed the ministry that they “do not support updating the existing legacy HCC tool as it is no longer fit for purpose.” This sentiment reflects a growing consensus that the current waitlist system is outdated and requires a redesign to integrate more effectively with modern health care needs.
Anne Bradley, a breast cancer survivor and advocate, opened with her personal story. After her family got dropped from their primary care provider’s roster earlier this year, she was assigned to a doctor more than 140 kilometers (90 miles) away.
“Why go through that process of having people line up to get in when [the clinics] could just access the list?” – Anne Bradley
Bradley’s frustration is shared by countless patients across the country who feel left behind by a system that’s always been there to support them.
Community Efforts to Fill the Gap
Community-driven initiatives are forming in response to the shortcomings of the HCC. In Ottawa, a group of volunteers led by Cynthia Boucher runs a Facebook group called “Ottawa Doctors Search,” aimed at connecting patients with available clinics. Each week, these volunteers search clinics across the city for open appointments. Their commitment represents a powerful example of grassroots leadership to meet a clear and critical need.
Cynthia Boucher noted the community’s essential role in bridging gaps created by systemic failures:
“I wish that we weren’t in this position, but we are and it’s a community base that needs to fill that role where the information isn’t getting to citizens.”
Jess Rogers, CEO of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, acknowledged the challenges faced by clinics in accessing the centralized list. She stated that “it’s not intentionally fighting with one another. I think it’s really with the best of intentions that every community is trying to get people into care as quickly as possible.” She added that “it’s a little bit messy right now, so you’ve got to kind of hang in there.”
Future Directions for Primary Care in Ontario
While the Ontario government continues to struggle with these realities, it has recently made headlines with plans to do so. The government has committed $2.1 billion to the Primary Care Action Plan. By spring 2026, this plan will ensure that everyone on the HCC waitlist can go to primary care instead.
The agenda is ambitious and should help shift the way we all deliver care. It will benefit all Ontarians, making it easier for them to access necessary healthcare services. Skepticism is still pervasive among patients and healthcare providers. Many are concerned that without dramatic changes, like aligning OHTs with new models of care, real change will be hard to achieve.
“HCC has not fully met the needs of Ontarians,” – Shelley Spence
