Ontario's goal of connecting every resident to a primary care provider faces a critical threat as family health teams warn of a crumbling foundation. These teams, comprising doctors, nurses, social workers, and dietitians, are struggling to retain staff because government funding for professionals has not kept pace with inflation or competitive wages in other health-care settings.
Nurse practitioners could earn upwards of $20,000 more annually in hospitals, and physician assistants an additional $30,000, according to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario. "We’re getting funding to bring on more people... but if you don’t actually stabilize the workforce you have, you’re very limited in terms of being able to sustain attachment," stated association CEO Jess Rogers. The concern is not just attachment numbers but ensuring sustained access to care.
Family health teams received only a 2.7% compensation increase last year, insufficient to recruit and retain professionals. The association is requesting $430 million over five years to address a structural wage gap and release $115 million in committed workforce funding. A spokesperson for the Health Minister noted the province is investing over $600 million in family health teams this year and aims to connect everyone to primary care by 2029.
Meghan Peters, executive director of a Sudbury family health team, highlighted that some staff take on second jobs despite earning significantly less than they could elsewhere in the health sector. "Passion for primary care is no longer enough to justify staying," she told a legislative committee, emphasizing that staff departures compromise essential services and lead to longer patient wait times.
Recruitment and retention are particularly challenging in northern and rural Ontario. Shannon Kristjanson of Greenstone Family Health Team reported being funded for four nurse practitioners but having only one position filled due to a substantial pay disparity with local hospitals.