Ontario's Auditor General has delivered a stark assessment of the province's healthcare system, identifying significant shortcomings in connecting residents with family doctors, expanding medical training, and controlling improper billing practices.
Critical Failures in Patient Access and System Integrity
In a series of five audits released on December 2, 2025, Auditor General Shelley Spence outlined where the provincial government is not meeting its objectives. The reports, which also include annual reviews of government advertising and environmental responsibilities, paint a concerning picture of a healthcare system struggling to keep pace with public need.
A central finding is the province's failure to ensure all Ontarians have access to a primary care provider. Despite known shortages and long wait times, the government's efforts to attach patients to family doctors or nurse practitioners are falling short, leaving many to rely on walk-in clinics or hospital emergency departments for routine care.
Medical School Expansion and Billing Oversight Lagging
The audit also scrutinized the pace of expanding medical education in Ontario. With a well-documented doctor shortage, particularly in family medicine, the government has pledged to increase the number of training spots. However, Spence's report indicates that progress is too slow and not strategically aligned with the areas of greatest need, undermining a long-term solution to the healthcare workforce crisis.
Furthermore, the Auditor General found that the province is not doing enough to tackle the issue of overbilling. The report suggests that mechanisms to identify, investigate, and recoup funds from inappropriate billing by healthcare providers are insufficient, representing a potential loss of millions in public health dollars and a breach of system integrity.
Broader Implications for Ontario's Healthcare
These audits arrive at a time of intense pressure on Ontario's healthcare system. The findings from Spence's office go beyond simple criticism; they provide a factual baseline for measuring the government's performance on key promises. The failure to effectively connect patients with primary care creates downstream pressures on hospitals, contributes to surgical backlogs, and worsens health outcomes for those without consistent care.
The lack of aggressive action on medical school expansion means the province's reliance on internationally educated physicians will continue, even as other jurisdictions compete for the same talent pool. Meanwhile, the inadequate oversight of billing practices raises questions about fiscal accountability within the health budget.
The annual review of government advertising and environmental duties released alongside the healthcare audits adds further context to the government's overall accountability. The full suite of reports from the Auditor General's office serves as a comprehensive check on provincial administration, with the healthcare deficiencies standing out as particularly urgent for public well-being.
