‘Need is critical’: Province invests $5.3M to expand primary care in Elgin-Middlesex-London

The provincial government has announced more than $5M in new funding for health care initiatives in our region. CTV London’s Reta Ismail reports.

The Ontario government says it’s investing $5.3 million to expand access to primary care in Elgin-Middlesex-London, aiming to connect thousands of residents with family doctors and nurse practitioners.

The funding, announced Tuesday by local MPP and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack, is part of the province’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan.

“This is a tremendous investment, and I think it only proves public health care is alive and well under this government in this province for years and generations to come,” said Flack, MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London.

Health-care providers in the region say the investment is long overdue and will play a key role in reducing wait times and improving access to care. Locally, the funding will help attach up to 12,600 residents to primary care providers.

The initiative will be led by the Thames Valley Family Health Team (TVFHT), working with eight Family Health Organizations, a Community Health Centre and a Family Health Team.

“The need is critical. A shortage of family doctors and nurse practitioners has led to long delays in medical care for too many people. These are our family members, these are our friends, these are our neighbours,” said Amber Alpaugh-Bishop of the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team.

TVFHT says this is the most significant investment in primary care the region has seen in nearly two decades.

“There hasn’t been an investment at this level in primary care, at least in a generation,” said Mike McMahon, executive director of TVFHT. “So this is you know, long overdue. But also, we believe timely investment in the province (and) locally here in London.”

Priority will be given to neighbourhoods with the greatest needs, including rural and Indigenous communities.

“There’s a lot of people in our communities here that need a family doctor,” said Mary Hay, executive director of the Southwest Middlesex Health Centre. “We’re also very close to three Indigenous communities, and there are huge gaps in primary care in those communities,” said Hay.

“It’s going to impact our services. A lot of our people are still on a wait list. Right now, that’s going to eliminate the wait list for our community and improve our services,” said Chief Todd Cornelius of Oneida Nation of the Thames.

The province says Tuesday’s funding announcement is part of a broader plan to connect up to 300,000 people across Ontario with primary care providers this year.