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New Physician Services Agreement also increases financial incentives for doctors to take on patients from provincial waitlist.
Published Jan 08, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Several North Bay residents were shocked to receive a letter from their family physician informing them they’ve been dropped. They’ve learned that same physician has accepted patients listed on the Health Care Connect wait list and wonder if they’re doing this for compensation. Photo by Getty ImagesArticle content
Several North Bay families were shocked to receive a letter recently from their doctor dropping them as patients.
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A local woman, who spoke to The Nugget on condition of anonymity, said she has been with her doctor for three years with no issues, so she was caught totally by surprise.
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It wasn’t long until she heard of other families being dropped.
“I was totally shocked to receive a letter saying I had been de-rostered. Soon after, my adult son also received the same letter, and soon after that, my daughter and her children received the same letter,” she told The Nugget Tuesday.
“It then became clear this was a pattern. I had been with this doctor for three years. There was never any conflict. I was pleased with his care.”
She said she was left frustrated and without a family physician.
The North Bay woman said while at work, one of her co-workers told her she had received a new family doctor via the province’s Health Care Connect (HCC) service.
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“The doctor who picked her up was the same doctor. This told me he was not reducing his patient load as my form letter had stated. How wrong is this to de-roster patients (and then) seek new patients? And why would a professional do this?”
Since this story broke, another woman has come forward telling The Nugget a local physician would often de-roster patients, but then would get staff to go on and do patient applications and accept them for additional funds.
But the provincial government says that the Ministry of Health has not received any indication that family physicians are derostering patients and subsequently accepting new patients through HCC.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones’ office notes that patients can be rostered or attached to a physician in several ways, including HCC, which is “a voluntary program that connects people to a primary care provider who is accepting new patients in their community.
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In an email to The Nugget, the minister’s press secretary Ema Popovic emphasized that the province has made it its goal to connect everyone in Ontario to a provider by 2029, and has taken steps to encourage clinics to roster patients on the HCC wait-list, which she noted “has been reduced by over 70 per cent since Jan. 1, 2025.”
“The waitlist has been reduced by over 70 per cent since Jan. 1 of this year,” said Popovic.
“Our government is proud to be the first Canadian jurisdiction to pass legislation that establishes a framework for its publicly funded primary care system, as well as lead the country with 90 per cent of people connected to a regular primary care provider.”
The new Physician Services Agreement for family health organizations, negotiated between the province and the Ontario Medical Association, increases financial incentives for doctors who accept new patients from the HCC waitlist from $350 to $500. Meanwhile established doctors who take on new patients who are not on the waitlist are paid between $100 and $180, depending on the health, age and location of the patient.
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The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario also sets professional standards for physicians, including specific requirements they must follow when ending a patient: physician relationship, such as providing adequate notice, ensuring continuity of care, documenting the decision, and having a valid reason for discontinuing care.
Coun. Tanya Vrebosch said she, too, has heard patients receiving letters from their doctors advising that their practice has been randomly selected to reduce their roster / patient size.
“Our health care system is in a state of crisis, and the burden is falling squarely on front line workers and patients. I see the dedication of family physicians firsthand; my own doctor works tireless hours between the hospital and the Blue Sky Clinic,” she stated.
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Vrebosch said that many North Bay residents have a “valid fear” of losing their family doctors.
“Recently, stories of ‘de-rostering’ have begun to surface in community Facebook groups, signaling a quiet but growing problem. This may be related to just one doctor based on the messages that I have received,” the councillor said.
Although municipalities do not control health care services, Vrebosch said the city has a “a duty to advocate for our residents,” through organizations such Association of Municipalities of Ontario and Rural Ontario Municipalities. She also suggested the City of North Bay, in conjunction with the North Bay Regional Health Centre, should hold a public forum to address the issues.
During last year’s budget discussions, Vrebosch brought up the idea of helping to attract doctors to the area — something many municipalities are doing.
“I wanted to talk about doctor recruitment, but the mayor said he had it all handled and figured out. There’s been no update. The City of North Bay doesn’t seem to care, so I’m bringing it to ROMA and AMO, and once the election is over, I’ll keep bringing it up.”
This article has been edited to correct attribution of information.
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