Quebec’s medical specialists reach deal with the province

MONTREAL – Quebec’s medical specialists struck a deal with the province Friday aimed at getting patients in front of specialists as quickly as possible.

“When this is deemed necessary to see a quickly a specialist, we will have a mechanism that will guarantee that patient ,coming from that physician, will have an appointment to a given specialist across the province,” explained Gaetan Barrette, Quebec’s health minister.

What that means is shorter wait times for patients to see a specialist in an emergency room. Specialists must now also reserve time in their schedules for patients referred by family doctors and ultrasounds offered in radiologists’ offices will be free starting next year.

But Diane Lamarre, the official opposition critic for health and access to care says the deal falls short and has no measurable objectives.

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“In a bill which was supposed to increase access, this is the best that it can do?”  asked Lamarre. “To make people the guarantee that they will have their surgery in more than one year? This is unacceptable,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In a bill which was supposed to increase access, this is the best that it can do?"  asked Lamarre. "To make people the guarantee that they will have their surgery in more than one year? This is unacceptable," she said.

The agreement comes just days after the government passed Bill 20, which would have imposed performance objectives on doctors and cutting the pay of those who did not meet those objectives. Friday’s deal suspends that pay penalty.

According to the health minister, the bill was necessary.

“Bill 20 exists only because there is a problem,” said Barrette.

But the Federation of Quebec medical specialists (FMSQ) says the real problem lies in the lack of staffing in hospitals, accusing Barrette of using coercive tactics to seal the deal.

The problem is having more nurses in the hospital, in clinics,  in ORs, in intensive care units, in emergency,” said Dr. Diane Francoeur who heads the FMSQ.

But it’s not just about nurses, its also about having the clerks and administrative assistants available to type radiology and pathology reports.

“Hospitals can’t do anything without the staff,” insisted Francoeur.

Despite those challenges, medical specialists have two years to improve the speed of patient care. If not, the financial penalties in Bill 20 will come into effect in January 2018.