2024-08-28 15:06:14
(Quebec) Negotiations between the Legault government and the Fédération Française du Québec (FMOQ) to update a framework compensation agreement for its members are set to be difficult. Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé said Wednesday that paying $3 billion a year to 10,000 family doctors “is not giving Quebecers value for their money.”
Posted at 11:06 AM
Twenty-four hours ago, the Legault government submitted its first offer to FMOQ: He wanted to reexamine the patient care model, delegate actions currently left to doctors to other professionals, and “optimize” their $3 billion in compensation, but this has not had the desired effect.
Finance Minister Sonia LeBel said in an interview that the scope of compensation had increased significantly over time and it was time to “optimize” it.
“We must work hard to optimize the current scope and relevance of [des actes rémunérés] Before considering the discussion: should we release more or none? “, she said with certainty.
Christian Dubé made similar brief comments on the sidelines of a meeting of Quebec’s Council of Ministers. “I agree with Ms. Lebel. Quebecers are not getting what they paid for,” he said. Accessing services remains difficult.
According to the latest data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the “average total clinical fees” paid to family physicians in Quebec in 2021-2022 amounted to $276,809. This is the average for all physicians, including part-time physicians.
The situation changes when we calculate wages in terms of full-time equivalents (FTEs), that is, full-time jobs. A family physician earned $383,359 that year. This is 10.8% higher than the Canadian average ($345,859) and 17.3% higher than Ontario ($326,871).
FMOQ notes change in tone
The Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec (FMOQ) received its first offer from the Quebec government on Tuesday afternoon, but it did not touch on pay issues yet and mainly included “work projects” to improve access to family doctors.
This is what FMOQ President Dr. Marc-André Amyot said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “There are no monetary parameters there, we are not talking about the money in this deposit, we are talking about the main principles, the place of work,” he said.
Photo Martin Tremblay, Los Angeles Press Archives
Dr. Marc-André Amyot, President of FMOQ.
Quebec’s proposal is six pages long. “This proposal is trivial because it is imprecise,” Dr. Amiot commented.
In a written statement, the Office of the Treasury Secretariat emphasized that the proposal focuses on improving services for family doctors. “At the end of this negotiation, the changes to local care services must be felt, not just theoretical. »
Dr. Amiotte acknowledged that part of the solution lies with family doctors, but he said Quebec also bears some responsibility for the disparity in access to family doctors.
While “there remains an adjustment in public discourse,” the FMOQ president noted a change in tone from the government’s side. “I noticed that the Prime Minister [François Legault] No longer wants to fight us – at the end of the parliamentary session he said he wanted to fight the doctors’ unions,” Dr Amiot said.
In fact, Mr. Legault once said that we “have to fight to the end” in our negotiations with FMOQ.
“They didn’t reinstate that yesterday, which I think is a positive thing,” Dr. Amiot said.
Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press’ health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
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