Stock photo of a Doctor walking in a medical facility hallway
Residents in Angus and across Simcoe-Grey could see improved access to family doctors and primary care services as part of a new provincial investment.
The Ontario government is investing more than $1.5 million this year to help connect up to 4,699 residents in Simcoe-Grey with a family doctor or primary care provider as part of its Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect all Ontarians to primary care by 2029.
The funding will support the Barrie Community Health Centre, which provides integrated primary health care, health promotion and disease prevention services through a team-based model. With the new funding, the centre will establish a process to accept new patients from Angus and the surrounding area.
“Access to primary care is one of the most important health-care priorities for residents across Simcoe-Grey,” says Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson. “This investment will help more residents in Essa Township and across Simcoe-Grey connect to the care they need, when they need it, while supporting the Barrie Community Health Centre’s efforts to expand services into a growing region. It is an important step toward ensuring more people can access primary care close to home.”
The Barrie Community Health Centre was among 124 teams selected for funding through the province’s latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan. According to the province, the funded teams are expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario.
The province said each team has developed a plan to attach a high proportion of residents who currently do not have a primary care provider, including people registered through the Health Care Connect waitlist.
Ontario also announced in its 2026 Budget that it is increasing total funding for the Primary Care Action Plan to $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” notes Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Simcoe-Grey, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”
The investment is part of the province’s broader health-care strategy, Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, which focuses on expanding access to health services and growing Ontario’s health-care workforce.
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