Ontario Investing an Additional $30 Million to Expand Primary Care Workforce

The Ontario government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to protect Ontario’s health-care system by investing $30 million to expand the province’s primary care health-care workforce. This new funding will upskill over 1,400 registered nurses for primary care, create 170 primary care nurse practitioner education seats and add up to 150 physician assistant education seats as part of the government’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029.

“Our government is continuing to take bold action to further protect Ontario’s world-class health-care workforce now and for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing the number of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, while upskilling registered nurses, we are taking one more step towards our goal of ensuring everyone can connect to primary care.”

To support the recruitment and retention of nurses in primary care, Ontario is investing over $4.5 million for a new, innovative program that will help over 1,400 registered nurses gain skills and experience in primary care, including:

• chronic disease management
• cancer screening
• maternal and child care
• immunizations

Launching this year, the program will be delivered in partnership with Conestoga College, Lakehead University, Trent University and Western University to equip registered nurses with the skills they need to immediately work in a primary care setting. As one of the first programs of its kind, Ontario is leading the way in health-care training and freeing up more time for family doctors and nurse practitioners to focus on patients with more complex needs.

“Today’s investment builds on our government’s critical work to protect Ontario’s health-care workforce today, and into the future,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “This new upskilling program and seat expansions will ensure that Ontario continues to have highly skilled workers to connect more people across the province to compassionate health care, close to home.”

Ontario is also investing $8.5 million to add up to 170 new primary care nurse practitioner education seats starting this year. Nursing schools implementing these new seats include Lakehead University, Laurentian University, McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Toronto, the University of Windsor, Western University and York University. This expansion will create more nurse practitioners in Ontario working in primary care, enabling faster and easier access for families across the province.

“Strengthening Ontario’s primary care system depends on a highly skilled health workforce,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair, Primary Care Action Team. “These new education and upskilling initiatives will help ensure that nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are equipped to provide the comprehensive, team-based care Ontarians rely on, close to home.”

In addition, starting in 2026-27, the government is investing a further $16 million to add up to 150 new physician assistant education seats at Ontario universities. Physician assistants help reduce wait times and improve patient access to primary care services across Ontario. Under the supervision of a physician, physician assistants may work with other members of health-care teams to provide health-care services.

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.

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