Recent stresses and underlying system causes of the primary care crisis point toward policy solutions

Across Canada, millions of people are struggling to find a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care clinic and millions more are attached to a clinician who is over the age of 65. Research led by INSPIRE-PHC and analyzed at ICES has demonstrated the growing number of unattached people and their higher likelihood of being of lower income, racialized and having newly arrived in Ontario. Recent stresses include population growth, declining volume of services per physician and decreased attractiveness of comprehensive primary care, while underlying system causes point to the need for organized accountable systems designed to look after the entire population.