cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/8003630

More than 4.4 million Ontarians could be without a primary-care physician by 2026, according to a new analysis that predicts a substantial increase in orphaned patients as older doctors retire and younger ones turn away from traditional family practice.

New figures released Wednesday by the Ontario College of Family Physicians show an estimated 26 per cent of residents in Canada’s most populous province may not have a regular primary-care provider three years from now, up from an estimated 18 per cent at the end of this year.

“We know that we’ve been facing a crisis in family medicine, and I think what we’re seeing with this new data is that the crisis is worsening,” said Mekalai Kumanan, president of the OCFP and a family doctor in Cambridge. “It really is incredibly worrisome to see our forecast showing one in four people in Ontario may be without a family doctor by 2026.”