Leaked health-care data paints troubling picture for Ontarians about to lose family doctor

At least three million people are at risk of losing their family doctor over the next five years, according to documents obtained by the Ontario Liberals.

Someone within the health-care sector leaked the classified documents to the Liberals, which reveals more than 2,300 family doctors in the province are over the age of 65 and may soon retire, meaning more Ontarians will have to go without a primary care physician.

The documents also reveal that one in four Ontarians already do not have a family doctor.

Liberal Health Critic Dr. Adil Shamji said the documents paint a troubling picture.

“That the scale of the challenge and crisis in primary care is far greater than we could have ever imagined,” he said.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones attempted to pour cold water on the report, saying the province leads Canada in the number of physicians attached to patients, adding that every single medical school in the province has expanded the number of medical seats available.

The Ford government recently appointed former federal Liberal health minister Dr. Jane Philpott to lead a new Primary Care Action Team, which aims to connect people in Ontario to primary care within the next five years. She is scheduled to start the new role on Dec. 1.