���߲ݴ�ý

On the eve of a snap provincial election expected on Feb. 27, parties are making announcements and promises to address the issue.

On Monday, Jan. 27 the Progressive Conservative government in previously approved primary care funding to connect every Ontario resident to a family doctor within four years.

The Tory government plans to create and expand 305 additional family health teams to connect two million people to primary care. Funding also includes more than $235 million in 2025-26 to establish and expand 80 additional primary care teams provincewide, connecting 300,000 more people to primary care this year.

While the OMA welcomed the announcement, the advocacy group warned the number of Ontarians who lack access to a family doctor could grow to 4.4 million by next year without urgent action.

If elected, Bonnie Crombie and the to guarantee a family doctor “close to home” for every Ontario resident by the end of the party’s first term in office.

The Liberals have promised $3.1 billion to attract, recruit, retain, and integrate 3,100 family doctors by 2029.

The Liberals also intend to create two new medical schools and double the number of medical school spots and residency positions.

The party hopes to incentivize family doctors to serve in rural and northern communities, enhance virtual care and reduce the time medical professionals spend filing paperwork.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles has vowed to health care by building integrated teams around doctors to help free up their time.

The party has estimated family doctors are stuck spending 40 per cent of their time on paperwork instead of seeing patients.

In a news release earlier this month, Stiles said emergency rooms have been shuttered, and for-profit health care has exploded under the leadership of Doug Ford.

Are you struggling to find a family doctor? Have your say in our reader survey.

Disclaimer: Reader survey results are not scientific. As the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of this site, they reflect the opinions of those who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone interested in taking it. This poll does not restrict the number of votes each person can cast.