Angry Quebec medical specialists announce further pressure tactics

Angry with the Legault government, medical specialists announced that they will apply other pressure tactics starting next week.

“It’s sure to create disruptions, (…) but that’s the price to pay to be heard,” said Dr. Vincent Oliva, president of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), at a press briefing in Quebec City on Thursday.

Starting Monday, specialists will boycott medical-administrative meetings on the organization of care. They had already stopped participating in meetings on the Digital Health Record (DSN) earlier this summer.

They will also stop teaching undergraduate medical students, but will continue teaching residents “for the time being.”

“At the university level, I certainly expect them to be unhappy and to say that this threatens students’ graduation,” said the FMSQ president.

“Of course, in the longer term, if students miss their graduation, we’ll have to reorganize internships.”

The pressure tactics could intensify in the coming weeks. Are doctors considering organizing demonstrations or rallies? asked a journalist. “We’re thinking about it,” replied Dr. Oliva.

The FMSQ’s announcement comes at a time when the Legault government refuses to withdraw its Bill 106, which would link up to 25 per cent of physicians’ compensation to performance indicators.

However, to achieve these goals, doctors need tools, argued Dr. Oliva. He hopes, for example, that the government will commit to opening more operating rooms.

“We want to treat patients, that’s what we want,” he stressed at a press briefing. The doctors he represents are “disgusted with being told they’re not working and then that they’re lazy.”

“Currently, we don’t have the tools to work, and that’s the central issue in the negotiations. The government refuses to make commitments to give us the resources to achieve our targets,” he insisted.

Bill 106 is closely linked to the renegotiation of the framework agreement with physicians, which expired on March 31, 2023. The FMSQ is represented at the negotiating table by former Premier Lucien Bouchard.

On Wednesday, the Legault government announced that it was increasing its offer to specialists by $72.4 million. Documents published on the Treasury Board website also specify performance targets.

For example, in emergency rooms, the target for patient care within 90 minutes would be 50 per cent by October 2025, rising to 80 per cent by July 2028.

Starting in 2026, almost all surgeries would have to be performed within 12 months at the most, and oncology surgeries within 56 days of the request.

In its offer, the government also proposes undertaking work to “rebalance” compensation between the different specialties.

The following specialties would be addressed as a priority: radiology, ophthalmology, cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, and allergy.

“Very concerned”

Reacting to the FMSQ’s statement on Thursday, Health Minister Christian Dubé deplored an attack on students “and potentially patients.”

“This is unacceptable. The place to discuss is at the negotiating tables,” he stated in a message sent to The Canadian Press.

“We are very concerned by the additional pressure tactics announced. (…) We will continue to be vigilant regarding the impact of these pressure tactics on the public,” he added.

The Collège des médecins also expressed “concern about the potential impact of the pressure tactics being considered by the FMSQ on patients and access to care.”

“We will monitor the situation closely and encourage the parties to negotiate,” its president, Mauril Gaudreault, stated on the Bluesky social network.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews