Belleville council asks Ford government if they should continue doctor recruitment in light of the Primary Care Action Plan

Motion

Whereas the Ontario Government as part of its $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a publicly funded family doctor or primary care team, the Ontario Government is investing $4,456,100 this year to connect up to 10,675 people to primary care in Hastings and Prince Edward counties; and,

Whereas eight primary care teams within the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team catchment area will establish a process to accept new patients and will communicate this to their local community; and,

Whereas these organizations include the Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre, Belleville’s Queen’s Family Health Team, and the Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic; and,

Whereas the Council of the City of Belleville has invited the Hastings and Prince Edward Health Team to make a deputation to Council on their efforts with this funding; and,

Whereas Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan includes attaching everyone (as of January 1, 2025 on the Health Care Connect waitlist to a primary care team by Spring 2026; and,

Whereas the City of Belleville has 30 active primary care recruitment agreements and continues with primary care recruitment efforts;

Now therefore the Council of the City of Belleville directs the Mayor to write to the Ontario Minister of Health to determine whether municipalities, and the City of Belleville in particular, need to continue with their primary care recruitment efforts in light of the Ontario governments Primacy Care Action Plan targets as well as earlier funding announcements by MPP’s Tyler Allsopp and Ric Bresee; and

That a similar letter be sent to MPP Allsopp and MPP Bresee with the same inquiry; and,

That these letters both sent and received be included on a future Council Agenda under correspondence.