Ontario Connecting 4,762 More People to Primary Care in Peterborough-Kawartha
May 29, 2026
$2,019,200 investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029
PETERBOROUGH — The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing more than $2,019,200 this year to connect up to 4,762 people to primary care in Peterborough City and County.
“This investment to enhance local healthcare access showcases our government’s absolute commitment to connecting everyone in our region to primary care,” said Dave Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha. “By delivering this vital funding directly to our local health teams, we are ensuring that thousands of unattached patients across Peterborough City and County will have a reliable, high-quality place to turn for medical care closer to home. This funding will significantly impact the lives of local families and relieve pressure on our broader healthcare system,” added MPP Smith.
Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT), in partnership with the 360 Nurse Practitioner Clinic, the Peterborough Community Health Centre and Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic, will establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to their local community.
PFHT was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Through the 2026 Budget, the province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
“This announcement represents a major investment in primary care for our community,” said Duff Sprague, CEO of the Peterborough Family Health Team. “Along with increased funding for the PFHT Connect Clinic, the Government is also introducing system changes that will allow patients to be attached directly to the Peterborough Family Health Team.” Added Duff Sprague.
This is a significant step forward for local access to care. Residents who do not currently have a family physician, nurse practitioner, or access through a Community Health Centre will now be able to connect directly with the PFHT Connect Clinic while they wait for long-term attachment to a primary care provider or team. Through the Connect Clinic, patients will have access to high-quality in-person care provided by local family physicians, nurse practitioners, and a pediatrician.”
The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Peterborough, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
- The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87 per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care.
- Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
Dave Smith Action Centre
705-742-3777
dave.smith@pc.ola.org