Find a Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner

In PEI, there is a waiting list to find a new family doctor or nurse practitioner. This waiting list is called the Patient Registry. 

You should join the Patient Registry if:

You are a resident of PEI with a valid PEI Health Card and you:

• do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner and would like to have one;
• have moved within the province and are looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner in your new area; or
• are expecting a baby and do not have a family physician or nurse practitioner

Additionally, you should contact the Patient Registry Program if you are on the Patient Registry and:

• your contact information has changed; or
• you have found your own doctor or nurse practitioner.

View Frequently Asked Questions about the Provincial Patient Registry and how to update your information on the Patient Registry.

Provincial Patient Registry Activity - Month to Date and Year to Date

Past Month:  August 1-31, 2025
Year to Date:  January 1 - August 31, 2025

Registrant:  A resident of PEI who has submitted their name to the Provincial Patient Registry.
Affiliated:  A resident of PEI who has been assigned a primary care provider (a physician or nurse practitioner).
Inactivations:  An application on the Provincial Patient Registry that is ineligible to be assigned to a primary care provider (moved out of province, not a resident of PEI, deceased, is in long-term care, or other reason for ineligibility).

Total Registrants by Region

As of August 31, 2025

View the Provincial Patient Registry Regions map.

2024 Provincial Patient Registry Summary and Monthly Activity

View the 2024 Provincial Patient Registry Summary and Monthly Activity

How to see a doctor now

If you need emergency care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

For non-urgent care, visit a walk-in clinic. 

If you are unsure what to do, call 811 to speak to a registered nurse for guidance.

You can also access many specialty health services without a referral in PEI, including: 

• mental health supports,
• sexual health and reproductive services,
• screening for some cancers,
• some vaccinations,
• diabetes support, and more. 

See Find Health Care for a complete list and contact information.

Within a few weeks of registering for the Provincial Patient Registry, you may also be able to see a doctor online. For more information, visit Virtual Health Care for Islanders without a Primary Care Provider.

If you are expecting a baby

If you are expecting a baby and do not have a family physician or nurse practitioner, the Patient Registry will assign you to a family physician or nurse practitioner for your prenatal care only.

How to join the Patient Registry

Complete the Patient Registry Online Application Form, call 1-855-563-2101 (toll-free) or for in-person assistance, visit an Access PEI location. 

You will need your PEI Health Card number to register. If you are registering a household, you will need PEI Health Card numbers for all members.

It will take up to 15 minutes to complete the form, depending on how many people you are registering. 

After you complete the form

Health PEI will send you an email confirming your application was successfully submitted.

The Patient Registry will contact you when a family doctor or nurse practitioner is accepting new patients in your area.

Health PEI encourages family practices to contact the Patient Registry when they are able to welcome new patients. Each family practice can determine how and when they accept new patients into their practice. Working together with the staff at the Patient Registry, together they ensure that they identify and match patients to providers in the most efficient and effective manner.

Patients assigned from the patient registry are assigned in chronological order, so those on the registry the longest within their preferred region are assigned first.

Once you have registered for the Patient Registry, you will be eligible to see a doctor online through Maple. Within a month, you will receive a separate email from Health PEI Maple inviting you to register for Maple for Islanders without a primary care provider. After you receive this email, follow the steps on the Virtual Health Care (Maple) for Islanders without a Family Doctor web page to request to see a doctor online.

Update Your Information on the Patient Registry

In January 2025, Health PEI launched a new Provincial Patient Registry. This system helps match people more efficiently with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. 

To ensure accurate matching with a family physician or nurse practitioner, the primary contact from each household is asked to update their information twice a year. 

How to Update the Information: 

Please update your household’s information using one of the following options: 

• Online:  Patient Registry Online Form (recommended)
• By Phone:  Leave a voicemail at 1-855-563-2101 (toll-free)
• In Person:  Visit your nearest Access PEI Location 

When you open the form, please choose “Update Existing Information”. You will need to complete the form, and the new information you enter will replace what is currently on file. 

Even if nothing has changed, it's important to complete the form twice annually. Keeping your information up to date helps you match accurately with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. 

A new feature lets you choose a Secondary Region for your provider. Along with your preferred region, you can now select a second choice for your preferred region. Use the link below to see where each region is located.

To confirm you’re registered in the correct region, consult the Provincial Patient Registry Regions Map.

Learn more about Understanding the Patient Registry Journey, from registration to connection.

Please Note: 

• To complete the form, you’ll need the Health Card for each person in your household. If that is not available, you can simply use their Health Card number and date of birth.

If someone listed in your household no longer lives with you, please contact the Patient Registry at provincialpatientregistry@ihis.orgor call 1-855-563-2101 (toll-free).

Contact the Patient Registry Program

Telephone: 1-855-563-2101 (toll-free).