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How to find a doctor or nurse practitioner in Ontario

January 3, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

There are currently many people in Ontario without a primary health care professional.

A family doctor or nurse practitioner is your primary health care clinician. This means they are the person you make an appointment with for a new, non-emergency health concern.

A family doctor or nurse practitioner can provide diagnosis and treatment for common illnesses and injuries, referrals to a health care specialist for a specific condition, and support in managing a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

They can also prescribe medication and provide regular check-ups, including physicals and routine screening tests.

There are two options for finding a new doctor.

You can contact an Ontario physician and ask if they are accepting new patients.

You can also register with Health Care Connect.

Health Care Connect will search for a doctor or nurse practitioner who is accepting new patients in your community.

If you were on the Health Care Connect waitlist as of January 1, 2025, you will be connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by spring 2026, as part of Ontario’s plan to connect every person in the province to primary care by 2029.

You may receive an official letter, email, or text message from Health Care Connect asking you to confirm if you still need primary care and if your information is up to date.

Joining Health Care Connect does not guarantee that a family doctor or nurse practitioner will be found for you immediately. Those who need urgent care will be placed first.

To use Health Care Connect, you must have a valid Ontario Health Card and have an up-to-date mailing address associated with your health card.

To sign up for the program, you will be asked for your name, address, health care number, and some basic health information to help determine your health needs.

Your request will be given to a Health Care Connect nurse, called a care connector, in your community, and they will review your request, try to find you the right family doctor or nurse practitioner in your community who is accepting new patients, and contact you if a match is found for you, and give you their contact information.

They will connect you to local health care services to help you with your health care needs while they are looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner in your community who is accepting new patients.  

You can contact Health Care Connect by phone at 1-888-579-6707, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or via email at HealthCareConnect@ontariohealthathome.ca.

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