Dear AFHTO EDs/Admin Leads, Lead MDs/NPs and Board Chairs,
The Ontario government released its 2025 Budget yesterday. While the budget reiterates prior commitments, it also introduces significant legislative and infrastructure developments for primary care. Below is a high-level overview of what’s most relevant to AFHTO members, followed by answers to key questions you may be hearing from your teams and communities.
Key Highlights
1. Continued Commitment to Team-Based Care
The government restated its $1.8 billion investment to connect up to 600,000 more Ontarians to primary care through the expansion of 78 interprofessional teams—part of Ontario’s broader Primary Care Action Plan. This commitment remains essential to our shared goal of equitable access to care.
2. New Investment in Teaching Clinics
A new $300 million investment over four years will support the development of up to 17 new or expanded Primary Care Teaching Clinics, particularly in communities with high rates of unattachment. These clinics are projected to connect approximately 300,000 people to care and train 140+ new family doctors per year starting in 2025–26.
3. Introduction of the Primary Care Act, 2025
The newly proposed legislation, if passed, would establish formal objectives for Ontario’s publicly funded primary care system, making Ontario the first province in Canada to legislate a vision for high-performing primary care—similar to approaches seen in Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.
What Is the Primary Care Act, 2025?
- The Act outlines what Ontarians should expect when accessing primary care and positions primary care as foundational to the health system.
- It is a first-of-its-kind law in Canada and reflects global best practices from jurisdictions with strong health outcomes.
- This legislation is both symbolic and strategic—it underscores primary care as a system priority and aligns with the government’s record investments in team-based models.
What Are Primary Care Teaching Clinics and How Are They Different?
- These clinics, formerly referred to as family medicine teaching units, will combine direct patient care with hands-on clinical education.
- They will train a range of professionals including family doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, and others.
- The Ministry is aligning these clinics with the 2025/26 expansion of interprofessional teams to support more seamless, team-based care delivery.
Will There Be a Call for Proposals for These Clinics?
- No. The Ministry has confirmed that there will be no open call for proposals.
- Instead, it used a Capital Framework to evaluate previously submitted university proposals and selected up to 17 projects based on need and readiness.
- The Ministry is working directly with Ontario’s medical schools to confirm the locations.
What If My Team Wants to Train Learners?
- These new teaching clinics are university-operated, in collaboration with primary care teams, and will typically host family medicine residents for two years.
- However, other teams continue to play a vital role in education. Students from a wide range of programs—including medical, PA, NP, pharmacy, and social work—complete short-term placements (2–12 weeks) in many primary care settings.
- If your team is interested in training learners, we encourage you to connect with your local learning institutions to explore partnership opportunities.
AFHTO will continue to advocate for equitable operational funding, HHR supports, and infrastructure investments that benefit all interprofessional teams. Reach out anytime if you have questions.
Have a great long weekend.
Michael Scarpitti
Director, Strategic Communications and Government Relations
AFHTO