Ontario Introduces Primary Care Act, Invests $300M in Teaching Clinics to Expand Access

TORONTO — The Ontario government is taking bold new steps to reform primary care by introducing the Primary Care Act, 2025 and investing $300 million to expand teaching clinics across the province. The legislation aims to connect 300,000 more people to family doctors and interprofessional care teams this year — and two million more within four years.

The new bill, if passed, will make Ontario the first province in Canada to formally define and legislate expectations for its publicly funded primary care system.

“This first-of-its-kind, nation-leading legislation marks a major step forward in our plan to protect our health care system,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Primary care is the foundation of our health care system.”

What the Legislation Will Do

The Primary Care Act, 2025 outlines six key pillars for what Ontarians should expect from their primary care system:

• Province-wide Access: Everyone should have a family doctor or care team.

• Connected: Care should be coordinated with other health and social services.

• Convenient: Timely access to care must be available.

• Inclusive: No discrimination or systemic barriers.

• Empowered: Patients should access their health information digitally.

• Responsive: The system should adapt to local community needs.

The bill supports Ontario’s broader Primary Care Action Plan, aiming to ensure every resident is connected to a primary care provider.

Major Investment in Teaching Clinics

As part of the 2025 Ontario Budget, the province will invest $300 million to build or expand up to 17 new community-based primary care teaching clinics, focusing on areas with high rates of unattached patients.

Partner universities include:

• McMaster

• NOSM University

• Queen’s

• University of Ottawa

• University of Toronto

• Western

• Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), which will open two new clinics in Brampton.

This expansion is expected to connect 300,000 additional Ontarians to care this year alone and train hundreds of new family doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses in communities across Ontario.

Brampton at the Centre of Expansion

Multiple MPPs from Brampton, including Prabmeet Sarkaria, Amarjot Sandhu, and Graham McGregor, welcomed the legislation and praised the government’s commitment to making TMU’s Brampton medical school a hub for hands-on primary care training.

“This is a game-changer for Brampton,” said Sarkaria. “Our government is not only expanding access to care but also training the next generation of family doctors right here in our community.”

Strong Support from the Medical Community

The legislation has drawn praise from medical schools, physician associations, and education leaders across the province.

“This investment is a bold and consequential step,” said Dr. John Yoo, Dean at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine. “It will leave a lasting imprint on health care for all Ontarians.”

“Ontario’s doctors are encouraged by this announcement,” said Kimberly Moran, CEO of the Ontario Medical Association.

Teaching clinics have already played a critical role in family medicine training. Ontario currently operates 39 such clinics, with more expected to come online through this investment.

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