Ontario government’s health-care investment ‘a great step forward’

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Ontario government’s recent $110-million investment in primary care teams is “a great step forward” in the journey to improve patient access to medical professionals, says Ontario disability insurance lawyer Courtney Mulqueen.

The move will connect up to 328,000 people to primary care teams, according to the Ministry of Health. 

The province says the aim is to ensure everyone in Ontario has a primary care provider. Primary care teams include doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians, among others. 

Closer to goal

“Our government is making record investments to ensure that everyone that wants to have a primary care provider can connect to one,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health (MoH). “While there is more work to do, giving hundreds of thousands of more Ontarians the opportunity to connect to primary care brings us that much closer to this goal.”

Access to primary care “helps people stay healthier for longer with faster diagnosis and treatment, as well as more consistent support managing their day-to-day health while relieving pressures on emergency departments and walk-in clinics,” the ministry states. 

“This is fantastic news,” says Mulqueen, principal lawyer of Mulqueen Disability Law Professional Corporation. “It is going to be a huge help for my clients seeking long-term disability (LTD) and for myself, as a lawyer, it will help them prove their claims. Providing increased access to medical care means people can receive the treatment they need sooner, That will potentially allow them to recover sooner.

“Many people suffering from an injury or illness that prevents them from working may also face the challenge of finding the appropriate medical care,” she tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “That makes it more difficult for them to prove their LTD claims and to receive the benefits necessary to fund treatment and pay for their living expenses.”

Admitting “there is more to do to close the gap,” the provincial government says there are approximately 1.3 million people in Ontario without a primary care provider, which includes nurse-practitioner led clinics.

Millions without a primary care doctor

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) states there are 2.3 million Ontarians without a primary care doctor with that number expected to double in two years, CBC News reported. 

Prior to the MOH announcement, the OMA had asked the province to immediately address the family doctor shortage, according to CBC. The association reported there are 2,500 physician posts open across Ontario with 40 per cent of active doctors in the province considering retirement in the next five years.

Mulqueen says health care has long been a hot-button topic. She says last spring the OMA released its Progress Report on the province’s healthcare system identifying the “top three urgent priorities” that needed to be addressed:

• Fixing the crisis in primary care to ensure everyone has access to a family doctor.
• Addressing the growing burden of unnecessary administration.
• Increasing community capacity and tackling hospital overcrowding.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has also called the lack of access to family doctors “a growing crisis.”

The association says family practitioners “provide comprehensive patient support, ensuring patients have continuity of care and the help they need to navigate our complex health system.” 

Nurses and other health-care professionals needed

Mulqueen points to a McMaster University study from October 2023 stating the lack of access to primary medical care affects the efficiency of the entire public health-care system, which needs not only more family doctors but nurses and other health-care professionals.

“Without family doctors, for example, patients are going to increasingly overcrowded hospital emergency departments,” Mulqueen says. “You can seek care at walk-in clinics but it is doubtful they will have your complete medical history and will not have an established relationship with you. That can be important in guiding any patient.

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“It should also be noted that delays in diagnosing and treating a medical issue can not only slow recovery, but it has the potential to make it worse,” she adds.

The McMaster study found that “having one person or team look after a patient’s primary care and keeping a good history is not the same as having many people looking after that patient and adding to that record in many settings and situations.”

“Whether it’s referring patients to resources or specialized help or orchestrating something as personal and impactful as the choice to die at home, family doctors are experts in translating your health story into plans to assemble and oversee your broader healthcare team,” states Cathy Risdon, chair of Family Medicine at McMaster. “The return on investment in a strong primary care foundation is an increase in the average lifespan, a greater sense of health overall and a reduction in costs in all other parts of the system.”

Family practitioner can play a significant role

Mulqueen says a family practitioner can play a significant role in proving a long-term disability claim, providing critical information about medical history, diagnoses, symptoms, treatment, functionality and prognosis for recovery and the return to work. 

“This information is essential for claims adjudicators to determine if the claimant satisfies the definition of disability for insurance coverage,” she says. “At the same time, a family doctor has the medical history necessary to provide a thorough report that can reduce the chance of delay in getting coverage and obtaining treatment.”

A family doctor familiar with the patient may also be able to ensure there is consistency in the treatment received, Mulqueen says.

She says she is encouraged by the federal government’s plan to use Canada’s immigration system to recruit foreign health-care workers.

In an announcement last summer, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos unveiled an “express entry” stream for health professionals.

Under the initiative, invitations will go to foreign doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and optometrists to deal with a shortage of healthcare practitioners.

‘No secret that our health system needs more workers’

“Health professionals have been working around the clock to provide world-class care to individuals in communities across Canada, but it’s no secret that our health system needs more workers to continue delivering the quality care that people in Canada deserve,” Fraser stated in a CBC News report.

Duclos said the move “will facilitate, fast-track and streamline permanent residency applications and help improve health workforce recruitment efforts by bringing more qualified health professionals into Canada.”

Mulqueen says the plan would not only add more professionals to an overburdened healthcare system but an influx of foreign doctors and nurses may have an added benefit.

“Foreign practitioners would not only provide much-needed help but they may offer some patients the chance to interact with someone who understands their cultural differences and who speaks their language,” she says. “That may allow them to feel more comfortable.

“More importantly, bringing more qualified medical professionals into Canada means more patients can get the attention they require in a timely fashion,” Mulqueen adds.