GAP agreement extended, service to continue for Quebecers without family doctor
Posted February 7, 2025 1:08 pm.
The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) and the Quebec government reached an agreement Friday for the Guichet d’accès à la première ligne – known as the GAP – a program designed to assist patients without a family doctor or specialized nurse in finding suitable primary care services.
“This agreement will remain in effect until the conclusion of the new framework agreement,” the Treasury Board said in a statement.
The government added that the previous agreement, signed last June, enabled nearly one million Quebecers to receive additional care. This renewal ensures that general practitioners will continue to enroll patients, with a goal of ensuring access to a family doctor or local care setting for all Quebecers by the summer of 2026.
“The renewal of this agreement guarantees the continuity of services to the population and avoids a repeat of last year’s deplorable situation. It is the patients — your patients — who benefit directly from this renewal,” said Marc-André Amyot, President and CEO of FMOQ.
Every day, Quebec’s emergency rooms see about 10,000 visits, with over 5,000 of these being non-urgent cases – according to the Legault government. The GAP allows patients to be redirected to a family medicine group (FMG) or another appropriate healthcare resource – alleviating pressure on emergency departments
