There has been a significant breakthrough in the goal to cut down the wait for a primary care provider.
The announcement comes after the Ontario government announced a large reduction in the provincial Health Care Connect (HCC) waitlist this week.
As of January 1, 2025, the province said there were 235,000 people on the waitlist, with that number now reduced by half.
“Reducing the Health Care Connect waitlist from January 1 by over 50 per cent is a major milestone and demonstrates tangible progress in connecting more people to ongoing care,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, chair of the province’s Primary Care Action Team in a news release.
“This reflects the dedication of clinicians and teams across the province who are working tirelessly to attach patients and expand access to comprehensive, connected and convenient care.”
The announcement marks significant progress in the province’s $2.1-billion Primary Care Action Plan, which was a commitment to connect people waiting for a doctor to a primary care team by spring 2026.
The Ontario government says investment and rapid action to strengthen the health-care system have been crucial in the reduction in the HCC waitlist over the past 10 months.
