Family physician shortage: CMA calls for national framework to assess future family medicine needs

Statistics Canada reported in 2019 that approximately 4.6 million Canadians didn’t have regular access to a primary care provider. In Dec. 2021, 2,400 family physician positions were vacant. In 2020, however, just over 1,400 family physicians exited the postgraduate training system to enter practice. The CMA says the expectations of family physicians are at an all-time high and the average age of today’s family doctors is 49 years. The CMA says without access to family doctors, patients turn to ERs, overwhelming other parts of the healthcare system. It’s calling on governments to partner with family doctors to create a nationwide data framework to better assess and project future family medicine needs and implement a national licensure model to facilitate the mobility of the current workforce between provinces.
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