CHATHAM, Ont., Jan. 16, 2024–Ontario’s doctors, represented by the Ontario Medical
Association (OMA), have submitted a comprehensive set of recommendations to the provincial
government ahead of the upcoming budget that address critical health-care priorities.
“While these solutions will not solve every issue, taking Ontario doctors’ advice today will get
the system out of crisis mode,” said OMA President Dr. Andrew Park. “The strains on the
health-care system have ballooned over the decades. It will take decades to fix these issues, but
we must start somewhere. And we must start now.”
The OMA’s Prescription for Ontario: Doctors’ Solutions for Immediate Action outlines 11
strategic initiatives that should be included in the 2024-25 provincial budget to ensure we have
a sustainable and efficient health-care system.
The three key priorities include:
- Fixing the Crisis in Primary Care
This initiative is a legacy-defining opportunity for this government. Currently, 2.3 million
Ontarians do not have a family physician, and this will balloon to 4.4 million by 2026 unless
something is done. The association calls for a rapid expansion of team-based care, a sustainable
strategy for northern and rural physician workforce, and increased investments in practice
ready assessments. The goal is to ensure at least 50 per cent of Ontarians have access to team-
based care by March 31, 2026. - Reducing the Burden of Unnecessary Administration
The average family physician spends almost 40 per cent of their work week on administrative
tasks that take them away from patients. To enable doctors to focus on patient care, the OMA
proposes creating a centralized intake and referral system, streamlining forms, reducing sick
notes and referral letters, and funding the use of artificial intelligence scribes. - Increasing Community Capacity and Tackling Hospital Overcrowding
Far too many Ontarians are languishing in hospital beds when they could be discharged and
better cared for elsewhere. The OMA is urging the government to address hospital
overcrowding by appropriately funding home care and home-care providers, exploring
programs for hospital-level care at home, embedding care coordinators within primary care and
Ontario Health Teams, providing long-term care homes with necessary equipment, and
ensuring universal access to palliative care.
“We believe that tangible action on these solutions will send a strong and confident message to
the people Ontario, its doctors and others in the health-care workforce that this government is
committed to building a better system,” said OMA CEO Kimberly Moran. “We would like to
work with the government to make these solutions a reality and improve access to care for all
Ontarians.”
