Health Care Connect is the Government of Ontario's program to help people find primary care. It can match you with a family doctor, a nurse practitioner, or a primary care team such as a family health team or community health centre. Registration is free, and it works best as a back-up while you search on your own.
How to register
You can register yourself and your whole family, online or by phone. You can use the Ontario.ca page on finding a family doctor or nurse practitioner to register online, or call 811 (TTY 711), any time, day or night.
You will need:
- Your contact information
- A valid Ontario health card number
- Some basic health information. How much you share is up to you, but more detail helps staff find a good match.
The mailing address you give must match the one on your health card. If your health card expires while you wait, it can cause delays.
What happens next
You will get a letter in the mail confirming your registration. You may also be contacted to check your information, and you can share extra preferences at that time. Preferences, like a clinician's gender or language, can make the wait longer.
A Care Connector then searches for a clinician or team in your community that is taking new patients. People with urgent needs are matched first.
When there is a match, you will get a letter with the name of the clinician or team. They will contact you to book a first appointment. After that visit, you and the clinician decide together if you want to continue. If you don't, you can register again by calling 811.
How long will I wait?
Nobody can say for sure. It depends on how many clinicians are taking patients where you live. In some communities the wait may be only a week or two. In others it can be much longer. Joining does not guarantee that you will be matched right away.
The list has shrunk a lot. The province reports that about 234,500 people were waiting on January 1, 2025, and that it had reduced that list by about 177,000 people by January 2026.
While you wait
Don't rely on Health Care Connect alone. Many Ontario Health Teams have their own programs to help people find a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Check whether yours does, and keep searching on your own. Our Find a Family Doctor page has the links.