The Current Why more Canadians are finding family doctors
Dec 10, 2025
Tara Kiran, a family physician and health systems researcher, joins Megan O'Leary, Director of Clinical Services at Kingston Community Health Centres, to discuss the recent improvements in accessing family doctors in Canada. They explore the positive impacts of government policies and funding, share innovative approaches like Kingston’s Midtown Health Home, and uncover the challenges that still exist in family medicine. The duo highlights hopeful developments, including removing residents from waitlists and enhancing physician work-life balance, fostering renewed optimism for patients in need.
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Access Numbers Improved But Gaps Persist
- 5.9 million Canadians are currently without a family doctor or nurse practitioner, down from 6.5 million in 2022.
- Even people with a provider face access gaps like after-hours care and coverage when their clinician is away.
Policy And Funding Are Changing Incentives
- Governments have invested to make family medicine more attractive through funding, training spots, and fast-tracking international medical graduates.
- Ontario committed over $2.1 billion to fund team-based primary care to extend doctors' capacity.
Legislate Primary Care Goals
- Pass laws that enshrine primary care as the foundation and set clear objectives tied to public expectations.
- Use legislation to hold governments accountable and drive measurable progress toward universal access.
