Finding a reliable and caring family doctor is crucial for maintaining good health and receiving quality and comprehensive medical care. However, in Ontario, like many other regions, the demand for family doctors exceeds the available supply, which leads to challenges in securing a family physician. If you don’t have a family doctor right now, here are some strategies to help you find one:
1. Register with Health Care Connect:
The first step in your quest for a family doctor is to register with Health Care Connect, a program run by the Ontario Ministry of Health. This initiative aims to connect residents without a family physician to available doctors in their community. To register, you can call the toll-free number or visit the official Health Care Connect website and provide essential information about your health needs and location.
2. Contact The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO):
This site suggests options for finding a family doctor and allows you to search for physicians by location and specialty:
- https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner#section-1
- https://www.cpso.on.ca/Public/Services/Find-a-Doctor-(1)/Resources-for-Finding-a-New-Doctor
- https://medimap.ca/clinics/family-practice/
3. Reach out to a walk-in clinic that provides follow-ups
In Ontario, select walk-in clinics accept patients without a referral, and will provide follow-up care and ongoing medication management. These physicians work with patients in a similar way to Family Doctors and can act as your primary care provider. There are many options – including Prime Medical Center with locations in both Toronto and Mississauga:
- https://www.primemedicalcentre.ca/
4. Contact a private family care provider for paid care
In Ontario, nurse practitioners can provide services that are similar to those of a family doctor. However, direct services by a nurse practitioner are not covered by OHIP. These services are available by private pay only. If you are having trouble finding a primary care provider in Ontario, and are willing to pay for these services, there are some private pay options available.
- https://www.careand.ca/
Finding a family doctor in Ontario can be a daunting task, but the resources above can help you with the process.
