$2.6-million investment in Hastings Prince Edward OHT brings Province another step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY – The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing up to $2,652,300 this year to connect up to 5,972 more people to primary care in Prince Edward and Hastings counties.
“Having consistent access to a dedicated primary care provider offers peace of mind and ensures smoother navigation of the health-care system,” said Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte. “With today’s investment, we’re building on our ongoing efforts to build interdisciplinary teams that provide high-quality care conveniently within our local communities.
As in last year’s Phase 1 announcement to attach up to 10,675, the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team (HPE OHT) Primary Care Network will establish a process to accept new patients and communicate this to the local community. The care will be delivered through partnering agencies like Community Health Centres and Family Health Teams.
The HPE OHT was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Dr. Sarah LeBlanc, the Co-Lead of the HPE OHT’s primary care network, welcomed the funding.
“This investment strengthens primary care by expanding team-based support around existing practices. As nurses and allied health professionals join teams, everyone — especially the family physicians —has the opportunity to work to optimal scope,” said LeBlanc. “This practical step will attach thousands more across our region and improve access closer to home. Most importantly, it helps us deliver person-centred care.”
Sheila Braidek, the Executive Director of the Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre, welcomed the provincial government’s recognition of the collaboration and continuity the local approach is delivering for patients.
“This funding represents a continued investment in building a coordinated system of interprofessional community-driven care. By strengthening our partnerships, we are helping to connect more people with holistic support that is provided in primary care. This collaboration across the different organizations is an important step forward in building a more equitable and connected system for everyone,” said Braidek.
Jane Wollenberg, a representative of the HPE OHT’s Patient, Client, and Partner Council, was also encouraged by the news.
“Having walked both as a caregiver and alongside a loved one during their health journey, I’ve witnessed how essential timely, compassionate primary care truly is. People in our communities have waited a long time for this connection, often navigating what is a complex system on their own,” said Wollenberg. “Today’s investment brings real hope. The expansion of primary care teams with the addition of nurses and allied health professionals builds stronger support for patients in their own community.”
Through the 2026 Budget, the Province is also increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
The Province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-2026 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
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.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $3.4 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.
- The government is making significant progress on its goal of clearing the Health Care Connect waitlist as of Jan. 1, 2025. That waitlist has been reduced by more than 87 per cent as the plan continues to hit its targets and deliver faster access to high-quality care.
- Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14-per-cent increase in family doctors.