Announcement Overview
HAMILTON — The Ontario government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to protect Ontario’s health-care system by investing $30 million to expand the province’s primary care health-care workforce. This new funding will upskill over 1,400 registered nurses for primary care, create 170 primary care nurse practitioner education seats and add up to 150 physician assistant education seats as part of the government’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029.
“Our government is continuing to take bold action to further protect Ontario’s world-class health-care workforce now and for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing the number of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, while upskilling registered nurses, we are taking one more step towards our goal of ensuring everyone can connect to primary care.”
In Hamilton, this includes creating 9 additional primary care nurse practitioner education seats at McMaster University. This expansion will create more nurse practitioners in Ontario working in primary care, enabling faster and easier access for families across the province.
“Through our Primary Care Action Plan, our government is taking action to connect every person in Ontario to the care they need, and that includes ensuring we have the skilled workforce to deliver it,” said Neil Lumsden, MPP for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek. “With a $2.2 million investment in the Greater Hamilton Health Network, we’ve already connected more than 15,000 to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. This additional $1.9 million will create more opportunities to upskill health professionals and train nurses, strengthening Hamilton’s frontline workforce to keep our city healthy.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.
“Today’s investment builds on our government’s critical work to protect Ontario’s health-care workforce today, and into the future,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “This new upskilling program and seat expansions will ensure that Ontario continues to have highly skilled workers to connect more people across the province to compassionate health care, close to home.”
Quick Facts
- The primary care upskilling program for registered nurses is a 12-week program that provides additional education and training to support working in primary care settings. Upon completion, registered nurses will receive a certificate from the program.
- Since the launch of the government’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan, Ontario has already attached over 275,000 new patients to a primary care provider, putting the province on track to meet or exceed its target of connecting 300,000 new people to care in 2025-26 and every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029.
- The government is investing in the largest medical school education expansion in more than a decade by adding 340 undergraduate seats and 551 postgraduate positions by 2028-29, representing a 67 per cent increase in family medicine graduates.
- Nurse practitioners have an expanded scope of practice and can diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications and perform specific procedures, making them essential in primary care environments.
- Since 2018, Ontario has added over 100,000 new nurses and nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.
- Ontario is taking significant steps to strengthen its health-care workforce by making it easier for U.S.-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to move to and practise in Ontario. In 2025, over 1,700 nurses and more than 450 doctors from the US have already chosen Ontario.
- In August 2025, the Ontario government invested $56.8 million to train 2,200 more nurses for communities across the province.
Quotes
“Here in Hamilton, this $1.9 million investment means increasing the number of nurse practitioners and primary care professionals who dedicate themselves every day to serve patients in our community. As Ontario expands medical and nursing education and works to connect every person to primary care by 2029, Hamilton families will benefit from a stronger pipeline of health-care providers choosing to practise close to home. This is a strong example of Premier Ford’s government in action to improve the lives of Ontarians. Today’s action will help to reduce wait times and connect more residents to ongoing care in the future.”
– Monica Ciriello
MPP, Hamilton Mountain“This investment strengthens Ontario’s primary healthcare system. This much appreciated funding for new Nurse Practitioner seats will help McMaster University train more frontline providers and improve access to care in communities across the province.”
– Susan Tighe
President and Vice Chancellor of McMaster University
Additional Resources
- Ontario Building and Expanding 16 Teaching Clinics to Connect 300,000 More People to Primary Care
- Ontario Marks One Year Milestone in Primary Care Action Plan
- Ontario Connecting 500,000 More People to a Family Doctor and Primary Care Team
- Ontario Connecting Over 300,000 People to Primary Care Teams
- Ontario Taking Next Steps to Protect Primary Care
- Ontario Investing Over $1.8 Billion to Connect Every Person in Ontario to a Family Doctor and Primary Care Teams
- Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care
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