Ontario Connecting 13,020 More People to Primary Care in Oxford

April 28, 2026

$5,220,700 investment brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029

TILLSONBURG — The Ontario government is taking the next steps to deliver its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.

As part of this plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario government is investing $5,220,700 to connect up to 13,020 people to primary care in Oxford.

“Access to primary care is the foundation of a strong and reliable health care system. This investment will help connect more than 13,000 residents to the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford. “By strengthening primary care, we are not only helping people stay healthier but also reducing pressure on emergency departments and hospitals. This is an important step toward building a more connected, accessible, and patient-focused health care system for families across Oxford County.”

Thames Valley Family Health Team was the lead organization that applied for funding. It includes funds to expand Thames Valley Family Health Team services within Oxford; expand the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic; and establish a new nurse-practitioner clinic in Tillsonburg.

“We are honoured to partner with the Oxford Ontario Health Team, the Oxford Primary Care Network, and the Government of Ontario, to strengthen the local primary care system and expand access to team‑based primary health care in Oxford County,” said Mike McMahon, CEO of Thames Valley Family Health Team. “With this funding, we commit to build and grow health care teams across the county. Our goal is to improve access to local health care, ensure continuity of care, and reduce the strain on the health system. Together, we hope to help everyone in our communities live healthier lives.”

The partners will establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to the local community.

“This investment is a significant step forward for primary care in Oxford County. It will allow the NPLC to expand access in Ingersoll and bring a new Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic to Tillsonburg, connecting more people to timely, team-based care close to home, said Stephanie Nevins, Executive Director of the Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. “We’re proud to work alongside our community and system partners to support the growing needs of our population, and we’re grateful for the province’s support in making this vision a reality.”

The Thames Valley Family Health Team was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan, with all 124 teams receiving funding expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario. Each team has established a plan to attach a high proportion of unattached people in their community, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist.

“Improving access to primary care has been a shared priority for Oxford Ontario Health Team partners over the past few years,” said Teresa Martins, Executive Director of the Oxford Ontario Health Team. “By coming together around a common agenda, organizations across our community have already made progress in strengthening primary care access. This new funding reflects the strength of our collaboration and will help ensure our efforts are sustainable while connecting even more residents to ongoing care.”

Through the 2026 Budget, the province is increasing overall funding for the plan to a total of $3.4 billion between 2025 and 2029.

The province has also exceeded its 2025-2026 attachment goal under the Primary Care Action Plan, which was to connect 300,000 patients to a primary care provider by March 31, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, the province has already attached 330,000 people to care in 2025-2026, surpassing its goal by more than 30,000 with three months still to go.

“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Oxford, our government is taking the next step toward connecting everyone in the province to primary care by 2029.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.