There is no single reason. Fewer new doctors have been choosing family medicine, many family doctors are overloaded with paperwork, and finding a clinic that fits your needs takes time. The good news is that the number of Ontarians without a family doctor has started to come down.
Why it's so hard
Fewer new doctors choose family medicine. More medical students have been choosing other specialties.
Family doctors are burned out. Family medicine now comes with a heavy load of administrative work. In a 2023 survey by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), more than 1,300 family doctors took part. 65% said they were preparing to leave the profession or cut back their hours within five years. The doctors reported spending about 19 hours a week on administrative tasks.
An open spot is not always easy to find. Many caring family doctors and nurse practitioners are taking new patients. But finding the right clinic takes legwork, especially if you care about the clinician's gender, languages spoken, location, or hours.
How big is the problem?
In July 2024, the OCFP reported that 2.5 million Ontarians did not have a family doctor, up from 1.8 million in 2020. That figure used data from September 2023.
Since then, the province has launched its Primary Care Action Plan, led by Dr. Jane Philpott's Primary Care Action Team. The province says the plan is backed by $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029, with the goal of connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029. It reports that 345,000 people were connected to primary care in 2025.
In 2025, the Ministry of Health estimated that about 1.98 million people were not attached to primary care.
These two numbers come from different sources, and the Ministry updated how it counts "attached" patients. Treat them as a general trend, not an exact comparison.
What this means for you
Things are moving in the right direction. Team-based care is growing, and family doctors and nurse practitioners are opening spots for new patients. Challenges remain, so the search can still take effort.
You don't have to do it alone. Our Find a Family Doctor page links to the provincial waitlist, local Ontario Health Team programs, and directories of clinics that say they are taking patients.