RNAO welcomes commitment to attach every Ontarian to a family physician or NP working in a primary care team

TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) welcomes the announcement that the provincial government intends to invest $1.8 billion over the next four years to address the crisis in primary care – a focus of RNAO's advocacy for years.

The news was delivered by Health Minister Sylvia Jones and the head of Ontario's Primary Care Action Team, Dr. Jane Philpott during a press conference at Queen's Park Monday morning. The funding is intended to connect every Ontarian to a most responsible care provider (MRP) – a family physician or nurse practitioner (NP) – working in a primary care team alongside registered nurses (RN) and other health professionals. RNAO wholeheartedly supports Dr. Philpott's vision of an "attachment guarantee" – similar to that offered by our public school system – where every person living in Ontario will have an MRP within their community.

"Currently, 2.5 million people across the province lack regular access to a primary care provider. As an NP myself, I know primary care holds the key to improving health outcomes for everyone. This announcement addresses our recommendation that Ontario's 5,300 NPs must play an integral role in tackling the crisis before us," says RNAO president Lhamo Dolkar. "We need more NPs, and we are calling on government to fund an additional 200 seats in student NP programs in this upcoming budget with a target of reaching 7,500 registrants by 2029."

Dolkar says, "Creating models of care where a family physician or NP acts as an MRP alongside a team of health professionals will give people the peace of mind they need to ensure their health and wellbeing are a priority." She adds: "It is essential that such models ensure a '24-hour care guarantee' to provide after-hours and weekend care in every neighbourhood."

NPs and RNs have been providing high-quality, cost-effective primary care for decades. They have improved access in rural and underserved communities. RNAO urges the government to fund eight additional NP-led clinics in the budget year 2025–2026, and to double the number to 54 by 2029. NPs can also ensure that Indigenous communities receive the care they desperately need by funding at least one NP in every First Nations community. The government should also fulfill its previous commitment of NP positions for primary care in correctional facilities.

RNAO's CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun welcomed the government's announcement: "The association is already working with Dr. Philpott and her team to realize a vision of primary care that serves all members of the public." She adds, "The province's action plan must ensure that NPs will be allowed to work independently and deliver care without user fees or out of pocket expenses, as federal health minister Mark Holland directed provinces and the territories to do by April 2026.

RNAO has outlined recommendations on how to strengthen Ontario's primary care system in several reports, including Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians (ECCO) 3.0, released in 2020. An update of this report – ECCO 4.0 – is due for release in February.

Grinspun says, "The investment, the largest ever for this sector, has the potential to do what the research has outlined time and time again: that a robust primary care sector is a hallmark of a high functioning health system. This investment must be done exclusively within the public system – under no circumstances should it be used to expand for-profit care, which would defeat the goals of this plan. If we can alleviate the crisis before us and continue to build Ontario's primary care sector everywhere – particularly in rural communities, northern regions of our province and in First Nations communities, Ontario's health system will be the envy of other provinces and other countries."

While Premier Doug Ford is set to call an election within days, RNAO is confident that Dr. Philpott and her team will continue their work, including ongoing consultations with partner organizations and health professionals.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

For more information, please contact: Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [e-mail]; Victoria Alarcon, Communications Officer/Writer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 211 416-408-5610 [e-mail]; Madison Scaini, Communications Officer/Writer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) 1-800-268-7199 ext. 274 416-408-5645 [e-mail]