Post-Election Advocacy: Our Policy Insights and SGFP Compensation Priorities

Dear SGFP members,

With the provincial election behind us, we must bring the challenges facing family medicine directly to the new government's doorstep. Our message is clear: family doctors deserve fair compensation for the comprehensive care we provide. With Dr. Jane Philpott leading Ontario's Primary Care Action Team, and $1.4 billion in committed funding, SGFP will fight for a strong voice at the table ensuring this investment delivers real improvements in how family doctors are valued and compensated.

Your Voice: Insights from the PPC Survey

Thank you to all the members who took the time to complete our recent Physician Payment Committee (PPC) survey. Your input has given us essential data to strengthen our PPC submissions. Your responses confirm what we’ve been hearing from family doctors across the province:

• You told us that 70% of your A007 visits now run longer than 15 minutes
• 40% of you spend 16-20 minutes with each patient
• 19% of you need 21-25 minutes
• 11% of you require more than 25 minutes per visit
• We heard loud and clear that administrative tasks and indirect clinical care are putting enormous pressure on your daily practice‍
• Increasing patient complexity directly contributes to longer appointment times
• You've made it clear that patients are coming in with increasingly complex health needs, often managing multiple issues in a single visit

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Your feedback strongly supports our position during negotiations and arbitration: the current compensation model needs substantial improvements to reflect today's practice realities. We’re using your insights to develop several PPC proposals to revise fee codes in the Schedule of Benefits. We look forward to sharing updates about these proposals as they progress.

Through your funding support, SGFP can commission independent research and analysis that bolsters our negotiating position. When other sections argue for larger shares within the Physician Services Agreement, we can demonstrate with hard data how family doctors are shouldering an increasing workload in increasingly complex care environments.

Help us continue building the evidence that supports fair compensation for family doctors. Your contribution directly enables SGFP to advocate effectively on your behalf.

[SUPPORT SGFP]

2025 CaRMS Matching

With the CaRMS results coming in early March, SGFP will be keeping a close watch. We’ll analyze the data carefully to provide a clear, accurate comparison to previous years, ensuring members understand what these numbers really mean for the future of family medicine in Ontario.

2025 Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) Awards

We encourage you to nominate outstanding colleagues for the 2025 Ontario College of Family Physicians Awards, which recognize family doctors and residents who exemplify excellence in our field. Nominations remain open until March 16, 2025, and can be submitted here.  

Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate the vital contributions of family doctors across Ontario!

Your SGFP Executive remains committed to advocating for real funding changes to better support family medicine – ensuring that current and future family doctors can build sustainable, thriving practices. We appreciate your ongoing engagement and dedication to our profession.

Warm regards,

Dr. David Barber  

Chair, Section on General and Family Practice