More than 5.8 million adults in Canada don't have a regular family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care clinic--and where you live has a lot to do with whether you're one of them. To make sense of the newest research on primary care in Canada, Dr. Tara Kiran flips the script and welcomes award-winning health reporter Kelly Grant from The Globe and Mail to ask her the tough questions.

Together, they dig deep into the newly released 2025 OurCare Survey data, exploring why provinces like Manitoba and Ontario are faring better, why Quebec leads the nation in out-of-pocket medical fees, and why patients in the Territories report being more satisfied with care. The data raises as many questions about healthcare as it answers — which is exactly what makes this conversation worth hearing.

Explore the Data

The 2025 OurCare Survey tracks how primary care is performing in every province and territory. You can dive into the results yourself at OurCare.ca 

Read the reports at OurCare.ca/survey 

Explore the interactive dashboard at data.ourcare.ca 

Read Kelly’s piece in the Globe and Mail summarizing the key findings

Mainpro+ Credits

Family doctors in Canada can now earn Mainpro+ credits by listening to Primary Focus Podcast episodes published after May 1, 2026. 

This self-learning Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 30 Mainpro+ credits, with 1 credit available per eligible episode. To claim your credit, listen to the episode, review the show notes and complete the self-learning survey. Your certificate will be emailed to you. Find more information at OurCare.ca/podcast 

Listen to an episode about the genesis of the OurCare Survey

A historic win for primary care in Ontario with Peter MacLeod

Why millions of Canadians are still waiting for a family doctor with Dr. Danielle Martin

More about Primary Focus:

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter

Have an idea for an episode? Email primary.focus@unityhealth.to

Tara Kiran is a family physician and researcher who is passionate about building a stronger, more equitable primary care system in Canada. She practices at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto where she is also a scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. In 2022, Dr. Kiran launched OurCare, a national initiative to engage the public in shaping the future of primary care in Canada. You can learn more about Dr. Kiran’s research here: https://maphealth.ca/kiran/ 

Primary Focus receives financial support from the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Foundation, and the Max Bell Foundation. Dr. Tara Kiran is supported as the Fidani Chair in Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto and a Scientist in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primaryfocus.substack.com