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Is there GP / Family Physician Saturation in Canada?

Over the past year, phrases like “GP saturation” and “pockets of saturation” have been appearing more often in UK GP circles. But what’s the reality? Does GP saturation actually exist in Canada?

The Question of Saturation

In some areas, or for some clinics in Canada, patient demand (and therefore patient flow) for new family physicians has not been as immediate as it once was. Some doctors starting their practices in Canada have experienced a slower build-up of patients than expected, creating a stressful situation since a physician needs to establish income quickly.

The situation, however, is not black and white. Based on our research, here’s what we’ve observed so far:

Areas with real saturation: In parts of Mississauga (GTA, Ontario), there has been an unusually high number of incoming doctors, creating genuine competition. These pockets have proven especially popular with UK GPs, which has intensified the challenge of building a roster quickly.

Areas where rosters build more slowly: In other regions, such as parts of Winnipeg, it’s more accurate to say that patient rosters are growing at a slower pace than in other areas of the city—not that there is no demand. Some would even argue that slower panel growth is to be expected when starting a practice. What is—and has been—Unusual is the extreme number of patients without a doctor in Canada, which, in a recent case we saw in a Canadian city, meant 1,000 people lining up in the snow from 2 a.m. to register with a physician who could only accept 500 of them.

Areas with high need for Family Physicians: In many parts of Canada, physicians are still urgently needed, and rosters can in fact be built very quickly.

Overall, patient demand in Canada remains very high

Recent studies confirm the scale of the shortage. A Health Canada and Canadian Medical Association report (Jan 2025) estimates a deficit of about 22,823 family physicians. A Durham College/Health Canada study (Mar 2025) highlights that 23,000 family doctors are needed while only 1,700 graduate each year. Looking further ahead, projections suggest Canada may need 48,900 more family doctors by 2031.

The message is clear: while some local markets may feel or may be crowded, Canada’s need for family physicians remains very high.

Solutions suggested by CloserMed

If you are concerned about GP saturation and whether you’ll have enough patients at the start, we recommend reading this other article: 4 Tips to make sure you get enough patients when you start as Family Physician in Canada.

You can also explore our list of Hot Jobs, each carefully assessed for patient demand and high likelihood of high patient flow from day 1.

Further extra steps you can take include:

Adopt a flexible and positive mindset: Although we recommend first choosing a province where you’d like to work so you can progress with licensing and gain credibility with clinics, once you’ve done that, it helps to focus less on a single location in that province and more on your real priorities—like patient flow, clinic support, schools, cost of living, or amenities. Most provinces offer multiple communities that fit these needs, and even if you don’t know anyone at first, you’ll soon meet other newly arrived GPs and build connections.

Focus on very high quality care: Even in more competitive areas, providing Exceptional first consultations and exams can go a long way and outperform any paid marketing method. We’ve heard many stories from doctors whose first patients brought their entire families shortly after their first consultation.

Marketing matters: Clinics that actively invest in marketing can support physicians in building a patient roster. We’ll be publishing a blog on this soon.

About us

At CloserMed we now carefully assess Patient Demand and Clinic Support for all our jobs. We also provide the following free services for candidates: licensing support (Physician Apply, CFPC, College), general immigration relocation guidance. We also provide area advice covering housing, schools, transportation, and more.

Get Started: Explore Hot Jobs