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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Ontario Launches Procurement for Provincewide Primary Care Medical Record System

New system is part of Ontario’s $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029


TORONTO — The Ontario government is taking the next step toward creating a new provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system by launching a competitive procurement process, led by Supply Ontario, to establish a Vendor of Record arrangement. The new system will securely integrate patient records, reduce paperwork for primary care providers and improve the quality and continuity of care for patients. This initiative is a part of Ontario’s $3.4 billion Primary Care Action Plan, which is on track to attach everyone in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.

“Our government continues to deliver on our plan to connect every person in Ontario to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team by 2029,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Patients should never have to worry that important health information isn’t available when they need care. Once complete, the new provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system will securely connect patient information, reduce
duplication and help health-care providers deliver faster, more connected and coordinated care.”

The Primary Care Medical Record system will allow doctors to securely create, access and manage digital patient information, including medical histories, diagnoses, medications and test results. While approximately 90 per cent of Ontario family physicians use electronic medical records, the current landscape is fragmented and disconnected, limiting effective information sharing across the health system. This results in patients having to repeat unnecessary medical tests or repeat their health history as they move between different clinicians.

The new system will support seamless and safe access to care, strengthen the security of medical records and eliminate the fees patients often pay to transfer records. It will enable authorized clinicians to quickly and securely access a more complete view of a patient’s health information, with appropriate consent, helping them make more informed decisions and provide better coordinated care for patients and their families.

“Primary care clinicians need modern tools that allow them to spend more time with patients and less time managing paperwork,” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. “A provincewide Primary Care Medical Record system will help reduce administrative burden, improve access to information and support better care for patients across Ontario.” 

The province is working closely with OntarioMD, an expert in electronic medical record certification and implementation of electronic medical records in the development and implementation of the Primary Care Medical Record system. Starting today, interested parties can respond to the Request for Bids through the Ontario Tenders Portal.

While Ontario continues to lead the country with nearly 90 per cent of people able to access primary care, the province has set clear goals to connect every person to primary care by 2029. Since the launch of the Primary Care Action Plan, the province has attached over 400,000 people to care, exceeding its target of 300,000 in the first year of the plan. Ontarians can get connected to primary care by registering through Health Care Connect at
ontario.ca/healthcareconnect.

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.

Quick Facts

  • One hundred and twenty-four successful applicants will receive funding for a new or expanded primary care team as part of the 2026-27 call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan. These teams are expected to connect another 500,000 patients to primary care across Ontario, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. Ontarians looking to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner can register with Health Care Connect or call 811.
  • Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse
    practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, midwives, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.
  • Since 2018, Ontario has added over 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care
    workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.

Quotes

"This initiative marks an important milestone in Ontario's transformative efforts to modernize primary care. By leading this procurement process, Supply Ontario is helping lay the foundation for a more connected and efficient primary care system. Through the work the Ministry of Health and our other partners, we are enabling better access to innovative solutions that will support clinicians, improve the patient experience and
ensure better patient outcomes across Ontario."
- Jamie Wallace
CEO, Supply Ontario


Additional Resources


Media Contacts

Lily Barnes
Minister Jones’ Office
Lily.Barnes@ontario.ca

Media Relations
Communications Branch
media.moh@ontario.ca
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