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Ontario connecting over 7,000 people in Dufferin–Caledon to primary care

May 7, 2026   ·   0 Comments

The Ontario government is taking the next step toward delivering its Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to connect everyone in the province with 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 more than $2,835,900 this year to connect up to 7,022 people in Dufferin-Caledon to primary care.

“Our government is taking action to improve access to primary care for families in Dufferin-Caledon,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon. “With this investment, we are connecting more than 7,000 residents to a family doctor or primary care team, ensuring people can access the care they need closer to home.”

Dufferin Area Family Health Team (DAFHT) is a collaborative primary healthcare organization that currently supports patients of primary care providers in Dufferin County and a group in Bolton. Identified as the fund holder for this expansion funding locally, DAFHT, in partnership with the local Ontario Health Team (OHT), was funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan.

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.
“This funding approval is a positive step for Dufferin Caledon, providing a scaled but meaningful opportunity to strengthen team-based care across the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team (OHT). In partnership with the OHT, the allocation supports immediate expansion of DAFHT programs and services, development of a local hub, enhanced Care Days clinical offerings, and a dedicated team to support patient attachment and collaboration with primary care providers. While an initial step, it moves us closer to ensuring all residents have access to team-based primary care. As we move forward, we will actively explore further opportunities to broaden our partnerships for even more,” said Lianne Barbour, Executive Director of the Dufferin Area Family Health Team.

“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, we are connecting more people to care and have already exceeded our 2025-26 attachment target,” said MPP Jones, who’s also Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By connecting more families to care in Dufferin County, our government is taking the next step toward.”

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