Doctor Shortage Demands Post-Election Focus, Says Leading Cardiologist
Dr. Anthony Sanfilippo warns political promises won’t solve Canada’s primary care crisis without bold structural reform
TORONTO, ON — With the federal election now behind us, Canadians are turning their attention to a healthcare system in urgent need of reform—particularly when it comes to access to family doctors. And according to one of the country’s most respected voices in medical education, the gap between campaign promises and healthcare realities remains dangerously wide.
“In the course of the campaign, health care took a back seat to issues of economics and national unity,” says Dr. Anthony Sanfilippo, cardiologist and former Associate Dean of Medical Education at Queen’s University. “Nonetheless, parties pledged to address the physician shortages and assured Canadians of direct access to family physicians. Now that the election is over, it’s time to again focus attention on the medical care crisis. What can and should be done to ensure Canadians receive the medical care they require and deserve?”
Dr. Sanfilippo’s analysis of party platforms—released through Sutherland House Experts—shows that while several federal parties acknowledged the family doctor shortage, few offered concrete, credible solutions.
The NDP made the most specific commitment, pledging to ensure that every Canadian has access to a family doctor by 2030. Their plan calls for the addition of 7,500 family doctors over five years, with financial incentives to help provinces reach the goal.
The Green Party has promised access to primary care through family doctors, nurse practitioners, and community health teams, with a focus on patient-centered care models.
However, the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, and Bloc Québécois have not made specific promises regarding universal family doctor access in the current campaign cycle.
Dr. Sanfilippo says these vague or partial commitments fall short of addressing the complexity of Canada’s doctor shortage. “Adding new doctors over a fixed period of time sounds impressive, but where will these physicians come from? How will they be trained? And how will we ensure they practice in underserved communities?” he asks.
His book, The Doctors We Need: Imagining a New Path for Physician Recruitment, Training and Support, offers a deeper look into these challenges—and potential solutions. Drawing on over 50 years of medical and educational leadership, Dr. Sanfilippo proposes urgent reforms to how Canada recruits and retains physicians, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability and better alignment with patient needs.
“Dr. Sanfilippo’s book gives critical insight into the situation we as Canadians are living and sadly, dying with,” says Neil Seeman, Publisher at Sutherland House Experts and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. “His expertise is essential for Canadians trying to hold our politicians to account to deliver real improvements.”
As voters look beyond the campaign trail, Dr. Sanfilippo is urging Canadians to demand action—not just ambition—from their elected leaders.
The Doctors We Need is available through Sutherland House Experts and on Amazon.ca.
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