Experts in
family medicine, 
Experts in family medicine, caring for you
Our health care system needs more family doctors.
Family doctors are the heart of health care. They are often your first call when something is not right, providing care and supporting you through all of life’s milestones.
Your family doctor knows your medical history best, focusing on your overall health and well-being, not just symptoms.
Every Ontarian should have access to a family doctor.
Caring for you,
Your family doctor is there for you when your health changes – from pregnancy to mental health challenges, caring for aging parents, or managing chronic illnesses. They are dedicated to ensuring you get the care you need, when you need it.
Family doctors: Specializing in your care
Specializing in
your care
Family doctors do more than treat illnesses; they are experts in caring for their patients. They guide families through all health care decisions, large and small. Family doctors are the foundation of local health care, working in primary care clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities and more. They help their patients stay healthy and navigate the system when something is not right.
Having a family doctor means:
The right care in the right place
Staying healthy and preventing illnesses before they happen
Decreased hospitalization
Reduced health care costs
The Problem
The
2.5 million Ontarians still do not have access to a family doctor.
The Solutions
The
We can ensure every Ontarian has access to a family doctor, no matter where they live. Here’s how:
Enabling Family Doctors to Keep the Focus on Patients, Not Paperwork
Family doctors should be focusing on what they do best – caring for patients. By reducing unnecessary paperwork and administrative tasks, and ensuring compensation reflects the complexity of care today, family doctors can spend more time on patient care. In turn this will lead to better working conditions, job satisfaction and increased retention.
Ensuring Everyone Has Access to a Primary Care Team
Every Ontarian should have ongoing, timely access to comprehensive primary care by a family doctor working alongside a team of other skilled health professionals. This approach will help people stay healthier longer by connecting them to care quickly while alleviating pressure on hospitals and other parts of the healthcare system.
Building a System That Supports Better, Connected Care
We need to build a strong, integrated digital health system where data sharing is enabled for all providers caring for a patient. By making it easier for family doctors and other providers to collaborate, we collectively improve the health outcomes for patients. Better, connected care also includes a focused approach to address the chronic and dire family doctor shortage in rural and remote regions.
Who we are
The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) represents more than 18,000 family physicians and medical students, including residents, retired family physicians, and more than 15,000 who are working in communities providing care to patients.
Our members care for Ontarians across the health system from comprehensive community practices to hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care clinics, to palliative care and more.
The OCFP supports its members by providing evidence-based education and professional development, promoting and recognizing leadership excellence in family medicine, and advocating for the vital role family physicians play in delivering the highest quality care to patients and families across Ontario.
