The Ontario government is investing more than $2 million in Peterborough City and County as part of its plan to connect more residents with a family doctor or primary care provider.
The province announced funding of $2,019,200 this year to help connect up to 4,762 unattached patients to primary care services in the region through partnerships involving the Peterborough Family Health Team, the 360 Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, the Peterborough Community Health Centre and the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic.
The funding is part of the province’s Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.
“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.
The local partners will establish a process to accept new patients and communicate those opportunities to residents who currently do not have access to a family physician, nurse practitioner or community health centre.
According to the province, the Peterborough Family Health Team was among 124 teams selected through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan. Collectively, those teams are expected to connect an additional 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario.
Peterborough Family Health Team CEO Duff Sprague called the announcement a significant investment in local healthcare.
Sprague said the funding will expand the organization’s Connect Clinic and allow patients to access care from family physicians, nurse practitioners and a pediatrician while waiting to be permanently attached to a primary care provider.
The province says it has already surpassed its 2025-26 target under the Primary Care Action Plan. The goal was to connect 300,000 Ontarians to primary care by March 31, but officials say 330,000 people had already been attached to care by Jan. 1, exceeding the target by more than 30,000.
