Bill 2: Quebec government open to amendments, as discussions with family doctors’ federation resume

The Quebec government says it’s open to amendments to Bill 2, so long as part of physicians’ salaries remains tied to the number of patients served.

That’s what the province announced Wednesday afternoon in a joint statement with the federation representing family doctors in Quebec. The two parties say they have agreed to “resume formal discussions immediately.”

“If an agreement is reached, the government would accept amendments to Bill 2, knowing that part of family doctors’ remuneration remains conditional on taking on an increased number of Quebecers,” the statement reads.

Earlier Wednesday, Premier François Legault described a meeting with the president of the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) as “very positive,” despite the group’s ongoing legal challenge against the province.

Last week the FMOQ filed an appeal for judicial review, asking that Bill 2 be suspended until a hearing on it can be heard.

Bill 2, which has been in place exactly one month, ties physicians’ salaries to the number of patients served and their degree of vulnerability.

The FMOQ says the law has already had catastrophic impacts, prompting some to leave Quebec, take early retirements or turn to the private sector.

A family doctor clinic in Montreal’s Quartier Latin neighbourhood recently told CityNews it would be closing because of financial constraints linked to Bill 2.

On Tuesday, FMOQ president Dr. Marc-André Amyot travelled to Quebec City for a sit-down meeting with Premier Legault.

“The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss possible solutions to the current impasse,” the FMOQ wrote in a Facebook post afterwards. “The FMOQ reiterated the urgent need for action to stabilize the situation on the ground, as physicians announce their departures and patients lose access to essential care.

“The federation remains available to continue discussions in the hope of restarting negotiations.”

On Wednesday morning at the National Assembly, Legault told reporters the meeting was about getting “back to basics,” and that its tone was “very positive.”

“Why are we doing all this?” Legault said. “Because it doesn’t make sense that so many Quebecers don’t have access to a family doctor. So, we need to go back to the objectives, and I can’t believe that we can’t work together to find ways to provide these services.”

Other federations in Quebec representing medical specialists and residents, along with the association representing pharmacy owners, have also filed their own legal challenges against the law.

–With files from The Canadian Press