Access to care: 5 principles for action on primary health-care teams

All patients should have access to a primary care team with a minimum composition of a family physician and/or nurse practitioner, dietitian, nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, physiotherapist and social worker. (Shutterstock)

Primary care is in crisis. Recent estimates indicate 6.5 million Canadians, including 2.5 million Ontarians, do not have a primary care provider.

Interprofessional primary care teams include a range of health professionals in addition to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, and are a key solution to improve access to primary care.