Health - Finding a Family Doctor

You would be surprised to know that it's a challenge to find a family doctor in Canada! and it's not optional to do so ... because a family doctor, who is also called a “family physician,” “general practitioner” or a “GP.”, is usually the first person you see when you do not feel well or when you are sick. You need to find a doctor who is taking new patients.

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When you have a family doctor, you go to this doctor when you are sick, unless it is an emergency and you have to go to the hospital. Your doctor keeps a record of your medical conditions and treatments and gets to know you and your family.

How to find a family doctor

Doctor Search Service: Use the Doctor Search service of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to locate a doctor in your area. You can call 416-967-2626 in Toronto or 1-800-268-7096 ext. 626 from elsewhere in Ontario.

Yellow Pages: Another way to find a doctor is to look in the Yellow Pages of your local telephone book. Look under “Physicians & Surgeons” for “Family Medicine,” “Family Practice” or “Family Physician.” You can also ask your friends or relatives if their doctor is accepting new patients. Do not wait until you are sick to try to find a family doctor.

You may not be able to find a doctor in your area who takes new patients. You may need to go to a walk-in medical clinic. These clinics have doctors, nurses and other health care workers so you will still get medical care from a doctor.

You do not need to make appointments to go to most walk-in clinics, but you might have to wait for an hour or more to see a doctor.

To find a walk-in clinic near you, look in the Yellow Pages of your local telephone book under "Clinics-Medical." Some clinics have extended hours, so you can visit a doctor in the evening and on weekends. Many hospitals have walk-in clinics for non-emergency health problems.