Quebec’s pain, Ontario and NB’s gain? Doctors considering leaving the province due to new forced settlement
The fallout continues in Quebec after the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government called for a shutdown after pushing through a controversial bill to change the way doctors are compensated.
Bill 2 was passed into law on Saturday, less than 24 hours after it was introduced by Health Minister Christian Dubé.
under the law, Doctors will see a portion of their compensation tied to performance targets related to the number of patients they care for, particularly vulnerable ones.
Both New Brunswick and Ontario stand to benefit as more and more doctors say they will leave Quebec’s public health system in response to the special law.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was quick to act, telling reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that he would like to step up recruitment efforts in Quebec.
“Call 1-800-DOUG-FORD,” he said. “All the documents, come on, call me on my cellphone…we’ll get you done very fast.”
But if the number of applicants for licenses is any indication, it doesn’t look like Ford will have much to do.
As of Wednesday, more than 100 doctors had begun the process of applying for licenses to practice in both provinces, with the New Brunswick College of Physicians saying it has received about 40 applications so far in October and Ontario saying it has received 70 applications in the past five days.
In an email to Radio-Canada, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick said it typically receives about three to four license applications per month from Quebec physicians, which represents a significant jump.
Quebec’s Bill 2 links a portion of doctors’ salaries to collective performance targets, a measure that many doctors argue will not have the intended effect. They are also criticizing elements of the bill that could punish those who speak out or try to leave the province’s public system.
Meanwhile, a Vitalite, the New Brunswick health authority that oversees 11 French hospitals in the province, says it is also seeing a “wave” of inquiries from Quebec doctors.
Vitalite CEO Frans Desrosiers told Radio-Canada tout un matin In the past month alone, it has received 100 expressions of interest from Quebec physicians, including asking what positions are vacant and where, as well as seeking information about workload and working conditions.
“Despite the fact that Quebec is our primary recruiting target, in addition to our students trained in New Brunswick, this is significantly more than we typically receive,” Desrosiers said. Vitalite typically receives 10 to 20 applications per year from doctors across the country.
Desrosiers said although there are opportunities for family doctors and specialists from Quebec, it is not a large number in New Brunswick, with a total of about 500 doctors who work in French.
“So when we recruit, it’s about 50 doctors and we lose about 15 to 20 doctors per year due to retirement or them going elsewhere to work.”
‘Tragedy for patients,’ says Quebec Federation of GPs.
Dr. Marc-André Amyot, President of Federation des médecins omnipracticiens du Québec (FMOQ), which represents normal practitioner, Described the situation as a “tragedy”.
“A doctor leaving, whether it’s for retirement or to another province, is a tragedy for patients,” he said.
“On average, each doctor has 1,000 patients. And imagine, those patients can’t find another family doctor. Quebec already has a shortage of 2,000 family doctors.”
Speaking from Quebec City on Wednesday, Health Minister Christian Dubé said physicians and students need to take a step back.
“They need more information before they make their decision,” he said, adding that the law was only passed on Saturday and there is still a lot of process left.
Dubey also reminded FMOQ and the Federation of Medical Specialists of the 60-day delay after the law is passed in which they can “negotiate remuneration.”
“So I think there will be some movement in the next few weeks if the federations are at the negotiating table,” he said.
However, on Tuesday the federation representing medical specialists in Quebec said it was filing a lawsuit on Wednesday to challenge the law. Federation des Médecins Specialists du Québec (FMSQ) will also request a stay of execution, saying “violation of personal liberty” will be at the center of its arguments.
