Ottawa Now - Ontario Health Coalition not in favour of municipalities financially enticing family doctors

Earlier this week, the City of Ottawa released a 10-point report to address the municipality’s dwindling number of primary doctors. Ottawa is short nearly 300 family doctors, while a whopping 165,362 residents were without a family doctor in 2022. And according to this report, existing provincial policies put Canada’s Capital at a ‘disadvantage’, with international medical graduates barred from practicing here for 5 years and physician partnerships currently limited beyond five kilometres. As a result, some municipalities have had to get creative to entice family doctors to practice in their city. For example, North Grenville established a primary care incentive program in 2023, and it has been well-received by locals and doctors alike. However, it is not sitting well with the Ontario Health Coalition, and they want to see this practice banned. Ross Sutherland is the Chair of the Ontario Health Coalition, a retired city councillor for South Frontenac, and a retired nurse. He joins Kristy Cameron on today’s Ottawa Now.