Ontario's bold plan to give every resident a family doctor by 2029
Ontario's government is pushing ahead with plans to expand primary healthcare access across the province. Since 2024, 534 new medical school places have been created each year, with the first 165 students starting at the University of Toronto in September. The goal is to ensure every resident has a family doctor by 2029, but debates continue over how best to attract physicians to underserved areas.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones has criticised local incentive schemes, calling them an unsustainable 'arms race' between towns. Municipalities like Dryden and Kirkland Lake have introduced perks such as moving cost coverage and referral bonuses to lure doctors. Huntsville even offers an £80,000 relocation bonus for a five-year commitment.
The province's own strategy avoids direct financial incentives. Instead, it focuses on funding 300 new and expanded interprofessional healthcare teams to support physicians. By September, 275,000 people had already been connected to primary care, keeping the government on track for its first-year target of 300,000. Local politicians argue that incentive programmes remain vital for rural and underserved communities. Meanwhile, the minister insists the long-term solution lies in systemic expansion, not short-term competition between towns.
The province aims to eliminate the current gap of two million people without primary care access. With new medical school places and expanded healthcare teams, the plan relies on structural changes rather than local incentives. The success of this approach will determine whether Ontario meets its 2029 target.
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