There are three main ways to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner in Ontario: contact clinics yourself, use a directory that tracks which clinics are taking patients, or join a waitlist. The best plan is to do all three at the same time.
1. Contact clinics directly
Look up clinics near your home, near your work, or anywhere you would be happy to travel. Call them or check their website, and ask if any of their doctors or nurse practitioners are taking new patients. Our guide on what to say when you call can help.
You can also search the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Physician Register. You can narrow the results by things like the doctor's gender and the languages they speak. The register shows who is licensed, not who is taking patients, so you will still need to call.
2. Use a directory
Two free Ontario websites do some of the legwork for you:
- DocMaps (docmaps.ca)
- iamsick.ca
Both keep lists of clinics that say they are accepting new patients. They build their lists by contacting clinics directly. A list can be out of date, so always confirm with the clinic yourself.
3. Join a waitlist
Health Care Connect is Ontario's provincial waitlist. You can register online or by phone, and you may be matched with a family doctor, a nurse practitioner, or a primary care team. The list has shrunk a lot. The province reports that about 234,500 people were waiting on January 1, 2025, and that it had reduced that list by about 177,000 people by January 2026. This came with new funding through the Primary Care Action Team, led by Dr. Jane Philpott. It is worth signing up and letting it run in the background while you search on your own. Learn how Health Care Connect works.
Your local Ontario Health Team (OHT) is also working to help people in your area find a doctor. Some OHTs run their own waitlists and match you based on your needs. Others use Health Care Connect.
What to do next
- Call or contact clinics near you.
- Check DocMaps and iamsick.ca for clinics that say they are taking patients.
- Join Health Care Connect, and check whether your local OHT has its own process.
You can find all of these, including how to look up your OHT, on our Find a Family Doctor page.