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OPA 2026 Vision: The Future of Physiotherapy in Ontario

Person jumping showing inspiration

As we move into 2026, we share an extraordinary degree of optimism for the physiotherapy profession. We believe it will be recognized and valued even more for the impact we have on function, health, and well-being.

Physiotherapy helps people across their lifespan, wherever they access health care in the system.   

Our mission at OPA is clear. We are here to Support our members through advocacy, professional development, and career support. We Influence and shape decisions that affect the profession. We Empower our members to provide the utmost in safe and high-quality care to all people and communities we serve.   

As your provincial professional association, we recognize both the honour and the importance of representing your voice. Working with the Ontario government and key decision-makers, we represent you on the issues that matter most to you. Our focus is on the policies, funding decisions, and structures that affect your work every day and your patients.   

As we head into the New Year, we are set on achieving progress in the following areas:   

A Thriving Workforce and Practice Settings  
Our priorities include:  

  • Continuing our efforts to advance scope implementation  
  • Supporting the development and appropriate funding of physiotherapists in first contact primary care roles 
  • Advancing the Community Physiotherapy Clinic program in 2026 with a focus on program awareness, expansion and appropriate compensation  
  • Refining our 2026 OPA Fee Guideline with sector-specific information  
  • Working with FRSA (Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario) and the Ministry of Finance to make long-overdue compensation changes 

Health System Transformation  

We are supporting physiotherapists and their teams by: 

  • Promoting interprofessional team-based care 
  • Advancing physiotherapists’ participation in health system transformation with a focus on Home and Community Care and Long-Term Care 
  • Making it easier to deliver informed patient care by gaining access to provincial digital assets (Diagnostic Imaging Repository, OLIS – Ontario Laboratories Information Systems)  

Our Membership 

We are most successful with your involvement and partnership. This is why OPA listens to and engages students, new graduates, PTAs, and physiotherapists throughout their careers. Our volunteers on committees, district executives and our Board of Directors make sure our work is relevant and positively impactful. We couldn’t do this without you.   

Transparent and Inclusive 

The processes and supports we develop matter. We continue to make them more accessible, inclusive, and transparent. We celebrate our wins, share progress with our members regularly and invite you to participate at any time.  

As we move into 2026 and our bold initiatives, reflecting on the successes of 2025 provides us with confidence and a roadmap for moving forward.  Thank you for your support and confidence in us – together, we can accomplish so much more!  

Sincerely,

Sarah Hutchison, CEO & Courtney Bean, President  

2025 Provincial Election – OPA’s Key Priorities

January 30, 2025 

With the call for a provincial election and a date set for February 27, 2025, OPA recognizes the importance of the next four weeks in engaging candidates and prospective MPPs on the issues that matter. Watch Courtney Bean, OPA President, speak about the upcoming provincial election. 

Polling data reinforces that health care and the state of our health system remains a priority for Ontarians. We know that this is a critical time to communicate the priorities of the physiotherapy profession with candidates so that we can continue to make progress and positive change.  Ontarians face extraordinary barriers to needed care. This election we believe important issues must be tackled and responded to so that Ontarians have equitable, timely access to the essential services provided by physiotherapists, physiotherapy residents, and physiotherapist assistants.  

Here are our four priorities that will contribute to building an effective Health Care system in Ontario: 

1. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN ONTARIO 

Growing the number of physiotherapists in Ontario is critical to meet the increasing demands on our system for rehabilitation care in private practice, primary care, hospital care, long-term care and home and community care 

2. ADD PHYSIOTHERAPISTS TO MORE INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE TEAMS 

Expanding the investment in primary health care organizations by adding physiotherapists is necessary to ensure that all Ontarians have access to primary health care with integrated physiotherapy services. All Ontarians should have the essential healthcare they need, including care by physiotherapists to promote well-being and injury prevention, recover from surgery or injury, and live optimally with chronic conditions in their homes and communities 

3. FINALIZE IMPLEMENTATION OF SCOPE OF PRACTICE 

It has taken too long! We call on candidates to increase health system capacity and efficiency by finalizing the regulations needed for physiotherapists to practise to their full competencies, including ordering diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests. These include changes that were enabled by the Ontario Legislature in 2009 but have not been implemented by the Ministry of Health.  Get it done.   

4. RESOLVE PROGRAM AND COMPENSATION RELATED CHALLENGES 

There is a need to implement policies and funding increases that support fair, equitable compensation and are comparable to increases in other disciplines of the healthcare workforce (e.g., nurses, mid-wives, physicians). Underfunding physiotherapy leads to service scarcity, long wait times, and poorer health outcomes for Ontarians in publicly funded and insurance-based programs. The inconsistent funding of physiotherapy services severely impacts recruitment and retention with many physiotherapists withdrawing services because of the lack financial viability to deliver.  

It is essential that physiotherapists are accessible to Ontarians of all ages and abilities. To support the wellbeing and prosperity of the province, the sustainability of the physiotherapy profession is critical, and to reduce professional attrition, it is imperative that underfunded physiotherapy programs are improved administratively and fiscally, including (1) Community Physiotherapy Program (CPC) (2) Auto Insurance Programs including the Minor Injury Guideline (MIG) and Professional Services Guideline (PSG) and (3) Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) Programs of Care. 

Join us in any way you can! 

At OPA, we will continue to advocate for the priorities of our members and profession overall and have prepared a candidate brief that we hope will be of value in your discussions. 

Download Candidate Brief