Ontario is grappling with a critical shortage of family doctors, leaving 2.6 million residents without access to primary healthcare—a significant increase from 1.8 million in 2020, as reported by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. This shortage is intensifying pressure on communities across the province to deliver adequate healthcare services. In response, municipalities are adopting creative strategies to attract and retain family physicians, while the provincial government asserts its commitment to improving access to primary care.
The Ford government maintains that Ontario has the highest number of people attached to a primary care provider in Canada. A spokesperson for the Ford government stated:
"leads the country with the highest number of people attached to a primary care provider"
In an effort to address the growing demand for family doctors, Brockton recently witnessed an overwhelming response when a new family doctor opened practice. Out of 1,015 residents who lined up, only 15 were turned away. The new doctor accepted the first 500 residents who signed up and placed another 500 on a waitlist. His wife, currently practicing in the United States, plans to gain accreditation in Canada to assist with the patient load.
For two decades, Brockton's physicians recruitment committee has offered incentives such as a municipally-funded medical clinic and student loan forgiveness to attract doctors. Mayor Chris Peabody described the competitive landscape as:
"It’s an arms race between municipalities in Ontario"
Peabody emphasized the need for funding and volunteer efforts in recruitment:
"You just have to fund these committees, you have to find the money, you have to get the volunteers who will do the recruitment and work really hard, and you hope the best for success"
Similarly, Orillia is working on a unique solution to manage administrative burdens that deter doctors from family practice. By redesigning space within its municipal building, Orillia plans to open a doctor's office and walk-in clinic. The city has budgeted $500,000 for this initiative, which aims to handle administrative tasks for doctors, allowing them to focus on patient care and bill procedures through OHIP.
Ralph Cipolla, an Orillia councilor, acknowledged the challenges involved:
"The administration is going to be the difficult part"
Jobin Varughese, president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, highlighted another concern: an alarming number of new family physicians are leaving the field within five years of residency. He noted:
"We also have seen studies that 65 per cent of physicians who answered a recent survey are in the next five years thinking of stopping their practice"
Varughese stressed that administrative burdens are a significant issue for physicians:
"We have heard loud and clear from our physicians that the administrative burdens in their practices have become quite significant. They’re spending more time working on administration than actually seeing patients"
To mitigate these challenges, Varughese called for effective solutions:
"We’re at a point where too many families, too many Ontarians, do not have access to a family physician, and it’s not getting better because we need to see the solutions that will work to improve the ability for family physicians to see patients be implemented"
Meanwhile, Brockton is advocating for a common funding base for physician recruitment accessible to all municipalities. The town has been in discussion with the government and has received positive feedback regarding its plan to open a new family doctor's office and walk-in clinic.
The Ford government's commitment to improving primary care access is underscored by its appointment of Jane Philpott, tasked with ensuring every Ontarian who wants a primary care provider can connect with one within five years. A government spokesperson stated:
"Since 2018, our government has increased our investment in connecting people to primary care by 50 per cent and we are not stopping there"
Despite these efforts, Varughese warns that family physicians are increasingly burdened by additional expectations:
"Family physicians very commonly will be asked to take on more and more, and eventually, that well of good intentions will run dry, and we need to start refilling that"
