Toronto needs over 300 family physicians to fill current vacancies in the area, according to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).
Almost every region of Ontario is grappling with a family doctor shortage and the OMA is warning that the crisis will continue to worsen if it is not dealt with promptly.
Currently, 305 family doctors are needed in Toronto, 171 in Ottawa, 118 in the Barrie and Muskoka region and 114 in Hamilton, the OMA said in a Monday press release.
According to the OMA, 2.3 million people in Ontario are currently without a family doctor and it projects that number will double over the next two years.
Furthermore, HealthForceOntario, which posts job openings for doctors, has more than 2,500 physicians needed in the province, OMA said.
“The implications of people not being able to access primary care are severe…the crisis we have seen unfold in Sault Ste. Marie, leaving thousands of people without a family doctor, will replicate itself across the province. We can’t just sit back and watch this situation get worse. We need to act now so people in Ontario can get care when they need it,” OMA President Dr. Andrew Park said in a statement.
According to reports by CBC News, a health centre in Sault Ste. Marie that has been running for more than 60 years will cut 10,000 people from its books by May due to a doctor shortage.
Moreover, the OMA says an increasing number of Ontario doctors it represents are considering leaving their family medicine practice.
An OMA survey also showed that 40 per cent of physicians are considering retiring in the next five years.
“Underfunding in OHIP revenue, complicated with rising inflation pressures, have made family practice unsustainable,” the OMA said.
“Working conditions that have nothing to do with medicine and result in family doctors spending 40 per cent of their work week on completing forms and trying to navigate patients through a system that is disconnected and fragmented,” are also part of the problem according to the OMA.
It also forewarned that reduced access to family doctors will negatively impact health outcomes across the entire system.
“Family doctors are the bedrock of the health-care system and are the vital link to specialist care,” the press release said.
The OMA outlined what can be done to address the current crisis in its 2023 Prescription for Ontario: Doctors’ Solutions for Immediate Action plan, which includes addressing physician burnout, fixing the crisis in primary care, addressing the growing burden of unnecessary administration, increasing community capacity and tackling hospital overcrowding.
“Our goal is to make sure everyone in Ontario has access to a family doctor. People are paying for health care through their taxes and they deserve a doctor. Let’s make sure that happens.” the OMA concluded.
