Ontario's Primary Care Action Plan; $1.8 Billion

February 5, 2025  

As a key partner, OPA received a letter from the Deputy Premier & Minister of Health and Dr. Jane Philpott as the Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. We were pleased to see the recognition that Primary Care Teams should be made up of family physicians or nurse practitioners along with nurses, physician assistants, social workers, physiotherapists and other health care professions.   

It is vital that physiotherapists are included in primary care teams given their role in the assessment and management of physical conditions, supporting recovery from surgery or injury, living optimally with chronic conditions and with improving function in their homes and communities.   

OPA believes very strongly in the importance of inter-professional care teams that can draw on the strengths, full scope and collaboration of the regulated health professions to ensure all Ontarians have access to comprehensive, excellent primary care. Expanding access to physiotherapy by physiotherapists through primary care teams will provide essential rehabilitative care.  

Regardless of where they live or their ability to pay, it is essential that Ontarians have timely access to physiotherapists working to their full scope of practice to provide essential rehabilitative care across their life span.   

For more information on OPA’s work and supports in primary care, please contact Amy Hondronicols. 

OPA, in collaboration with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario (CPO), provided an update to our long-standing Scope of Practice submission to the Ministry of Health. It was important to incorporate the voice of the profession through the Scope Survey and the almost 1100 responses received.  

The Ministry team has received the update with a few minor questions in follow up and we look forward to our next meeting early in 2025. OPA took the opportunity to update Dr. Karima Velji, Chief of Nursing & Professional Practice and Assistant Deputy Minister for the Province of Ontario, with this information as well.