Find a Doctor in Canada: Guide to Finding a New Doctor in Your New Community

Find a Doctor in Canada: Guide to Finding a Doctor in Your New Community

Finding a doctor is not always an easy task. Some waiting list can be very long depending on where you live. In fact, finding family doctors that are willing to accept new patients in the different provinces of Canada can be more challenging than you may think. Not to worry, this article will provide you with all the information you’ll need to start the process in your province.

Whether you are looking for a doctor for you or your family, each province have specific steps to take for you to get in contact with a doctor accepting new patients.

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How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Ontario?

Finding a family doctor that is accepting new patients in Ontario is not too complex. If you don’t have a doctor yet or need to find one in your new city, you’ve got 2 options to find a family doctor online in Ontario. You can also find one by phone.

Find Family Doctor Online

Option 1: Sign up to Health Care Connect with your basic health details after which your request for a family doctor would be subjected to review and you will be contacted once one is found for you.

  1. Visit the Health Care Connect website.
  2. You can register for yourself or someone else. Select whichever is applicable to your situation.
  3. Read the consent notice, only if you agree you will be able to proceed.
  4. Complete the Health Care Connect form and submit your application.

From here, the ball is in your court as you have to contact the family doctor assigned to you and decide whether he or she is suitable to the particular needs of your family. If the doctor is not a good match, you will have to reregister to Health Care Connect to continue your search.

ON Find a doctor

Option 2: Find a Doctor Search feature on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

*You can filter your search options to include the language spoken by the family doctor.

Visit the Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) website and complete the form.

Once the contact information of the family doctor appears, it will be your responsibility to reach out to the doctor to set up an appointment.

Find a Family Doctor by Telephone

To find a family doctor by Telephone in Ontario, all you need to do is place a call at 1-800-445-1822 (Health Care Connect) between Monday and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Required Documents

  • Health Card
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Updated mailing address

Important Information to Know

Please note that Health Care Connect is only available to you if you do not already have a family doctor. If you have a family doctor but would like to use Health Care Connect to find a more suitable family doctor, you must first disengage his services to take yourself off the patient list.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Quebec?

Finding a family doctor is a crucial step in receiving adequate medical treatment and having regular follow-ups and check-ups. Unfortunately, the workload of doctors keeps increasing year after year thus, making it a challenge to find a family doctor who is accepting new patients.

Find a Family Doctor Online

If you prefer finding a family doctor online, you have 2 options.

Option 1: The Quebec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF)

  1. Visit Quebec Family Doctor Finder website
  2. Make sure you meet all the criteria necessary to proceed.
  3. Fill in your Health Insurance Number, your Sequential number of the Health Insurance Card and the expiry date.
  4. Once you’re done the system will give you an approximate time to get a call from a doctor.

 

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Option 2: The Quebec Health Booklet

  1. Visit Quebec Health Booklet website.
  2. Click on the register button.
  3. Follow the step-by-step guide. You will need your health insurance number and postal code.

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

You can find a family doctor in Quebec by simply placing a call to your territory waiting list. You can find the phone number on the website of the Directory of health and social services resources by inserting your postal code and selecting your region.

Required Documents

The following are the document that you need to find a family doctor in Quebec:

  1. A valid Health Insurance Card
  2. Proof that you are a Quebec resident
  3. Your identity card
  4. Your postal code listed by Canada Post

Important Information to Know

Whereas the information just provided applies to the majority of people resident in Quebec, if you are resident in the Nunavik and Cree Territory of the James Bay region, please note that you have to contact your health care centre as doctors in that area are not permitted to register patients.

I am currently on the Québec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF) waiting list. How do I update my contact information when I move?

When moving, it is important to keep your contact information up to date while you are on the waiting list so that you can easily be contacted when a doctor is assigned to you.

There are two ways to update your contact information:

1 – Online at Quebec.ca/gamf by clicking on the button “Register to the waiting list.”

2 – By phone by calling your territory waiting list (GACO). These coordinates can be found on sante.gouv.qc.ca/votre-gaco or by calling Services Québec at 1-877-644-4545.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in British Columbia?

In British Columbia, finding a family doctor is rather simple. Whether you prefer to speak directly to someone or do a web research, both options are available.

Find a Family Doctor Online

In British Columbia, the Find a Doctor BC website has been structured in a way that makes it easy for you to find and contact family doctors working in clinics and hospitals in your area who are willing to accept new clients. Select the option that you would prefer.

Option 1: Find family doctors who are accepting new patients in BC

  1. Visit Find a doctor in BC website.
  2. Select your city and check the box to see the clinics that might accept new clients.
  3. Once that is done you will be able to see if there’s a doctor available in your area.
  4. Contact the clinics that are accepting new patients.

Option 2: Sign-up to be notified when a doctor in your area starts accepting new patients.

If it so happens that you cannot find an available family doctor, you could register to get notifications when a doctor begins to accept new patients. The fee is $3.99 monthly but you won’t have to visit the website every day to see if there’s an opening spot for you.

  1. Visit the Priority Notification Service website.
  2. Select your region.
  3. Fill the form to sign up to the notification service.

BC find a doctor

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

Use the toll-free hotline 811 to contact HealthLink BC. You will be able to speak with a health service navigator who will be able to give you information on how to find a family doctor in your area.

Required Documents

  • Health Card
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Updated mailing address

Important Information to Know

While the website is an effective way to find a family doctor, you should visit a clinic immediately or call the emergency number if your needs are more pressing.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Alberta?

With the new provincial Find a Doctor website, Albertans looking for a family doctor may now do so with just a few clicks. To find a family doctor accepting new patients in Alberta, you can do it online or by phone.

Find a Family Doctor Online

To find a family doctor online in Alberta, you will need to use the Find a Family Doctor tool created for that purpose by the Primary Care Networks. On the website, you can filter the search grid so that the family doctors presented in results of your search suits your preference.

  1. Visit Alberta’s Find A Doctor Website.
  2. Enter your address, gender and language preference.
  3. Select the location of your choice to see if there’s a doctor that accepts new patients. If not, select another location.
  4. Enter your email to have a follow-up with the doctor you selected.

alberta find a doctoralberta find a doctor

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

To find a family doctor by Telephone in Alberta, all you need to do is place a call 811 (Health Link’s toll-free number).

Required Documents

  • Postal Code
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Up-to-date mailing address in Alberta

Important Information to Know

In Alberta, family doctors work together with other medical specialists to ensure the wellbeing of Albertans. Thus, locating a family doctor that is accepting new patients is a sure way to make sure that your family stays up to date with vaccinations.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Manitoba?

If you reside in Manitoba and you are looking to find a family doctor, a special arrangement has been put in place by the provincial government to help you register online or by phone.

Find a Family Doctor Online

In Manitoba, the Family Doctor Finder is an effective online tool that can help you find family doctors that are accepting new patients. It is easy to use and all you have to do is register online. Make sure you fill in the Family Doctor Finder Online Registration Form correctly to get your family doctor as soon as possible.

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

To find a family doctor by phone in Manitoba, all you need to do is call 1-204-786-7111 between Monday and Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Required Documents

  1. Manitoba Personal Health Information Number
  2. Documents containing other basic health information
  3. Updated mailing address

Important Information to Know

You must find a family doctor by Phone and call the number above if you:

  • Are below the age of 16;
  • Are already registered with the program;
  • Do not have a Manitoba Personal Health Information Number (PHIN).

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Saskatchewan?

In Saskatchewan, it is much easier to find a family doctor accepting new patients because the Saskatchewan Health Authority has compiled a list of doctors that are accepting new patients and their regions. Once you’ve found a doctor near you accepting new patients, you need to call them directly. There is no online option in Saskatchewan.

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

  1. Visit the Saskatchewan Health Authority website.
  2. Select your area.
  3. Choose the criterias you are looking for in a doctor.
  4. Call the doctors that are available in your region.

Required Documents

  • Saskatchewan Personal Health Information Number
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Updated mailing address

Important Information to Know

The website listing doctors accepting new patients is not updated every day therefore some doctors might not be available anymore.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Nova Scotia?

It isn’t easy to find a doctor that is accepting new patients in Nova Scotia due to high demand and not as many available doctors. You can still try by going online or calling 811.

Find a Family Doctor Online

To find a family doctor online, visit the Nova Scotia Health care website such as the Need A Family Practice Registry and Register by inputting the necessary details so that you can be added to the waiting list.

  1. Visit the need a family practice registry website.
  2. Click on register.
  3. Complete the form and confirm.

Nova Scotia Find a doctor

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

To find a family doctor by phone in Nova Scotia, call 811 and you’ll be able to speak with someone about finding a doctor.

Required Documents

  • Nova Scotia Personal Health Information Number.
  • Documents containing other basic health information.
  • Civic address.
  • DOB

Important Information to Know

Finding a family doctor accepting new patients in Nova Scotia is a long process. As of April 2021, the average wait period before you are assigned a family doctor is 385 days.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in New Brunswick?

In New Brunswick, finding a family doctor that is accepting new patients can be done through the Patient Access NB registry online and by phone.

Find a Family Doctor Online

  1. Visit the Patient Access NB program to enroll.
  2. Read the program review, service providers and voluntary participation section.
  3. Select the option that best suits your situation.
  4. Complete the form required to continue the process.

NB Find a doctor

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

To find a family doctor by phone in New Brunswick, all you need is to call 811.

Required Documents

  • New Brunswick Personal Health Information Number
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Updated mailing address

Important Information to Know

After submitting your request, you must ensure that your email and phone number remain active. If they are attempting and failing to reach you, your file will be closed and you will have to register again.

How Do I Find a Doctor Accepting New Patients in Prince Edward Island?

In Prince Edward Island, to find a family doctor accepting new patients you have to go on the Patient Registry Program. There are 2 ways to go about it. You could either do it online or contact a health clinic or physician by phone.

Find a Family Doctor Online

To find a family doctor online in Prince Edward Island, you have to register on the Patient Registry Program by completing the application form. Depending on how many people you’re registering, the form should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Find a Family Doctor by Phone

To find a family doctor by phone in Prince Edward Island, call 1-855-563-2101.

Required Documents

  • Postal Code
  • Documents containing other basic health information
  • Up-to-date mailing address in Prince Edward Island

Important Information to Know

In Prince Edward Island, patients are assigned on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. You shouldn’t wait too long before starting the process to find a doctor when moving in your new city or in the province.

Conclusion

Family doctors are in high demand. Finding a doctor in your new community or in your area should be done immediately. Each province has their process to find a doctor and luckily the steps are pretty easy. Whether you do it online or by phone, you are a few clicks away from getting in contact with a doctor in your area. Be sure to do a follow-up on your demand if you are not the one cold calling clinics.

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Ann Nacario

The author

Meet Ann – our head writer with a knack for making moving and city living a breeze. From the many details of moving to picking the perfect moving company, she’s your guide. Ann has a friendly yet detailed approach to ensure your move goes off without a hitch. When she’s not writing about relocation, it will always be on her mind, but you’ll catch her spending time with her three furry friends.

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