London clinic recruits international doctors, opening doors for thousands of new patients

A London clinic is accepting new patients after recruiting international family doctors. CTV’s Reta Ismail reports.

A London medical clinic says it is making significant progress in addressing the city’s family doctor shortage by recruiting physicians from abroad and expanding patient capacity across multiple sites.

According to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), Ontario is facing a growing primary care shortage, with between two to 2.5 million residents currently without a family doctor, driven by physician retirements, burnout, population growth and fewer doctors entering comprehensive family practice.

Thompson Medical Centre (TMC), which operates locations on Thompson Road and in Hyde Park, says it has brought in a growing number of internationally trained family physicians, many from the United Kingdom, and is now accepting new patients.

The effort comes as thousands of London-area residents remain without access to a primary care provider.

According to the clinic, recent recruitment efforts could help connect to 40,000 patients with family doctors in the region.

The recruitment push follows regulatory changes introduced in 2023 by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, allowing doctors trained in countries such as the U.K. and the United States to have their general practice credentials recognized without additional examinations.

Clinic officials say that change created new opportunities to attract experienced physicians seeking better working conditions and greater flexibility.

Inam Khan, a family physician who moved to London from the U.K. in November, says those factors played a key role in his decision.

“The doctors over there, they are overworked, they are paid less. They are not compensated properly. You’re quite limited with the options of expanding your practice over here, you have more opportunities. You can expand your practice. You can do as many hours as you want, and you are sort of paid well.”

TMC Director Dan Muldoon says while incoming physicians bring years of experience, transitioning into the Canadian system still requires adjustment.

“With physicians from multiple countries, everyone knows the medicine when it comes to physicians, and they’re all have five plus years’ experience as doctors that we’re bringing on here. Now, the thing that they’re not experiencing, this is in the Canadian healthcare system.”

The clinic says its Hyde Park location, which has capacity for 26 physicians, currently has 22 practising — including 10 who joined within the past year. By June, those doctors are expected to take on just under 20,000 patients.

At the Thompson Road site, six new physicians are scheduled to begin work between April and July, with plans to attach more than 10,000 additional patients.

A third location is also in the works, with at least six physicians already committed and capacity for another 10,000 patients.

For many patients, the expansion offers long-awaited relief.

“I came to Canada around seven years ago – and I just recently found a family doctor – so my entire [life] here, I was going to walk-in clinics,” said Tamara Abu Shanab.

Muldoon says part of its current focus is raising awareness that doctors are now accepting patients, countering what it describes as a long-standing perception that finding a family physician in London is nearly impossible.

Despite the expansion, clinic officials say financial pressures remain.

TMC says it has operated at a loss for the past decade, with ownership reinvesting any revenue into recruitment, infrastructure and increasing patient capacity. The clinic has not received government funding to support its growth, though it has applied for assistance and is awaiting a decision.

In 2025, the London region received $2.7 million in Ministry of Health funding aimed at connecting approximately 12,000 patients to primary care providers. TMC was not eligible to apply at the time due to limited physician capacity but has since submitted an application in a later round.

Clinic officials note they independently attached approximately 10,000 patients in 2025 without that funding.

They say the goal now is to continue expanding access and ensuring patients know help may finally be within reach.

Patients can apply directly through the clinic online or in person or register through Ontario’s Health Care Connect program.