Everyone in Scarborough should have a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner. If you do not have one, this page tells you what to do, step by step. It is free.
Who can use it
Anyone with an Ontario health card who does not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. If you have just moved to Ontario, you can register while you wait for your health card. Caregivers can register on behalf of someone they care for.
How to get one
- Register with Health Care Connect. Call 1-800-445-8989 (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm) or register online at ontario.ca. A care connector in your area will look for a provider who is accepting patients. Say if you need care in a language other than English.
- While you wait, you can still get care: Health811 nurses by phone (811), walk-in clinics, and Scarborough’s community health centres, which take patients without a health card. Search all of them in the Toronto Health and Social Services Directory.
- When a provider is found, Health Care Connect will contact you. If the match does not suit you — too far, the wrong language — you can ask to stay on the list.
What it costs
There is no charge. Visits to a family doctor or nurse practitioner are covered by OHIP.
Why it takes time
Scarborough has fewer family doctors per person than most of Toronto. SOHT’s Primary Care Network is working to change that — recruiting providers, funding interprofessional teams and supporting practices so they can take on more patients. Registering with Health Care Connect is also how the province counts how many people in Scarborough still need a doctor, so please register even if you plan to keep looking on your own.
Who to contact
Health Care Connect: 1-800-445-8989. Questions about primary care in Scarborough: ScarboroughOHT@shn.ca.
I have a family doctor but cannot get an appointment. Can Health Care Connect help?
No — Health Care Connect is only for people without a provider. Ask your practice about same-day appointments or online booking; many Scarborough practices now offer both.
I do not have a health card yet.
Community health centres — for example Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities and TAIBU Community Health Centre — see people without a health card. Health811 is free for everyone.
Can I choose a doctor who speaks my language?
You can ask Health Care Connect for a provider who speaks your language; it will be one of the things the care connector looks for. It may take longer.
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