“Within 10 minutes of announcing they were accepting new patients, the new clinic in my neighbourhood already had a wait list”

I grew up in Markham as the daughter of Guyanese immigrants. Our family doctor treated my parents and me for more than 30 years. He cared for my immediate family as well as some extended relatives. He felt like more of a friend than a doctor because he knew so much about our history.

My father has diabetes and requires multiple check-ups each month. Our doctor carefully monitored his medications and health, which was crucial for my parents as immigrants—having the same person to rely on for their health gave them a sense of comfort and belonging. Our doctor also helped me treat a benign cyst that appeared on my skull, near the top of my head, when I was in my early 30s.

Read more: Dispatches from Ontario’s broken health care system

Then, in 2016, everything changed. My dad went in for an appointment, and there was a notice on the door saying that our doctor had retired. We never saw him again. After three decades, our relationship with him was suddenly severed. I was alarmed, but it was especially upsetting for my father, who had come to depend on him.

At that point, I was living in Ajax and working as an events manager with the Ontario Telemedicine Network. I started using walk-in clinics and, later, a telehealth app for virtual consultations. Surprisingly, I found that it provided better care than the walk-ins. But, by 2022, I was living in Toronto and tired of repeating my medical and family history at the start of each appointment. I wanted a family doctor who knew me.

I applied to the province’s Health Care Connect program to be matched with someone, but in the two years since, all I’ve received are periodic notifications confirming that I’m still on the wait list. The program has a support line, but all they can do is confirm that my application is still active.

Last December, I moved back to Markham and found out that a new clinic had opened near my home. However, within 10 minutes of announcing that they were accepting new patients, they already had a wait list.

Thankfully, I haven’t had any really serious health issues over the past eight years, but I do worry. Earlier this year, I had to treat another cyst near my forehead. Without a family doctor to refer me to a specialist, I tried the private system. A doctor there recommended removing the cyst due to its sensitivity. But, because the procedure was considered cosmetic surgery, it wasn’t covered by OHIP and ended up costing me $1,100. I’ve heard of cases where people had cysts that were causing discomfort removed for free through referrals by their family doctor. I can’t help but wonder if I could have avoided that expense.

Canada is often praised for its health care system, but so many of us struggle to access primary care. It’s incredibly frustrating. I still rely on walk-in clinics and telehealth apps. I even consulted a naturopath, but that became too expensive.

I have little faith in the Health Care Connect program. They should provide more resources for people without family doctors—maybe a portal where we can track our applications or get help finding interim solutions like virtual services so we don’t have to search on our own. I’m not optimistic about finding a family doctor in the near future. It feels like the long-term relationships with family doctors and the personalized care that I grew up with are a thing of the past.