Singh pledges federal action to give every Canadian access to a family doctor by 2030

ST. JOHN’S – Today, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh laid out a plan to ensure every Canadian has a family doctor addressing the worsening shortage in primary care that has left nearly seven million Canadians without a family physician.

“The Canada we are proud of was built by people who believe that health care should be there for you when you need it—not just when you can afford it. Universal health care is one of the greatest things we’ve ever built together as a country—and New Democrats fought to make it a reality,” said Singh. “But right now, millions of Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor because Conservative and Liberal governments have failed to act for decades. New Democrats are ready to fix it.”

Across Canada, more than 6.5 million people don’t have access to primary care. And when people can’t get the care they need, private clinics step in and start charging them for it. Access to care is a core element of the Canada Health Act. Singh warned that unless real changes are made now, we’re going to lose more than just doctors—we’re going to lose the very idea of public health care.

As an incentive to close the gap, the NDP plan will provide an additional 1% in Canada Health Transfer funding to provinces who deliver on guaranteed access to a family doctor and primary care. These provinces would be required to publicly report on the steps they take and on outcomes. The plan also includes streamlining the process for American doctors to come to Canada, especially in women’s and reproductive health, and funding residencies for internationally trained doctors living in Canada.

“Mark Carney has promised tax cuts for millionaires and reduced spending on services — that means cuts to health care,” said Singh. “We know what happens when health care is left to crumble: it gives Pierre Poilievre the excuse he’s looking for to call it broken and sell it off piece by piece. Let’s be clear — Canadians are saying no to Poilievre’s plan to Americanize our health care.”

To connect all Canadians with family doctors and primary care by 2030, the NDP will:

• Hire more doctors by creating residencies for qualified, internationally trained doctors already living in Canada;
• Implement a pan-Canadian licensure to help medical professionals practice where they are needed across the country;
• Train and equip more doctors from northern and rural communities;
• Work with provinces and doctors to reduce burdensome administrative bureaucracy imposed on medical practitioners that takes time away from patients; and
• Work with territorial governments to provide housing and facilities for family doctors and primary care teams to keep healthcare providers in the North.

“New Democrats made a real difference in the last minority government—we fought to get dental care and forced the Liberals to take the first steps toward universal pharmacare. It didn’t come easy, but we got it done. Now, we’re ready to do even more. We’ll guarantee that every Canadian can access primary care and a family doctor by 2030. We’ll fight for public health care, not cuts— and we’ll build a system that puts people first, no matter where they live or what they earn.”

Further measures aimed at expanding primary care through a team-based approach, including measures to support nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals, will be unveiled later in the campaign.