Family doctors, 

Recently, more than 1,300 family doctors responded to an OCFP survey on administrative issues. What the survey results showed us is that you care deeply about your patients, but the admin burden is having a dire impact on you and your patients. It’s overwhelming, unpaid, unnecessary – and it needs to stop. 

Ontario needs family doctors. With 161,000 patient visits every day in Ontario, family doctors see more patients than any other healthcare professional. But you can’t be expected to continue to carry the load of a failing system. 

 Family doctors need urgent change

that you and your patients will see and feel immediately. 

Advocacy Action

In the survey, you told us you want the OCFP to advocate on your behalf. We have been working hard to ensure the urgency of your message is conveyed with political and healthcare leaders: 

• We shared the survey findings with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and submitted recommendations through the Physician Services Agreement process. See our update from May 24. 

• We recently met with two MPPs so they could hear directly from family doctors on the unnecessary red tape and admin burden you are experiencing. 

• On May 31, we will issue a news release to publicly share the survey findings and raise the volume on the need for urgent action. This is necessary because we need public support in pushing for real and meaningful changes. See previous media updates. 

• Our survey findings will also be shared publicly by the OMA. We have collaborated with the OMA on a news release they will issue on May 31, pointing to the OCFP survey findings as further confirmation of the crisis in primary care. 

• We have already presented the survey findings and real solutions to key decision-makers and stakeholders including government, Ontario Health, CPSO, and the Section for General & Family Physicians (SGFP).  

• OCFP will be participating in an SGFP-led webinar, Doctors and Downloading: Transitions in Care - Who Does What, on May 31 at 8 p.m. Please register in advance.

What’s next? 

In the survey, you identified clear solutions - and as practising family doctors, you know best. We will continue to communicate with you on the progress we are making in bringing these solutions forward. 

It’s not too late to turn this crisis around, improve family medicine and let family doctors focus on direct patient care.  But our government and healthcare leaders must act quickly to provide immediate relief.

You deserve compensation and working conditions that respect your full scope of practice and dedication to your patients. We will continue to advocate for changes so that you can focus on providing the most essential medical care to all Ontarians. 

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