In a complete change of tone, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé hinted on Tuesday that he was confident about reaching an agreement with family doctors to renew the primary care access window – known as GAP.
“Today is Tuesday, the agreement ends on Friday, and in my career, I have often seen negotiations end at the last minute because the parties have found solutions,” said Dubé in a press scrum.
The Health Minister and the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) are engaged in what some are calling an arm wrestling match. This dispute could deprive thousands of Quebecers of access to medical appointments.
In 2022, Dubé and the FMOQ agreed that family medicine groups (GMF) would take on patients who had previously been without a doctor.
An annual premium of $120 was paid for each patient registered with an FMG through the GAP.
However, the agreement expires Friday, without the parties having agreed on any new terms.
In recent days, clinics have been writing to patients to inform them that they will no longer be monitored as of May 31.
On learning of this, Dubé accused the FMOQ on Saturday of orchestrating a “manoeuvre” and taking the public “hostage”, a charge promptly rejected by FMOQ president Dr. Marc-André Amyot.
According to data from the Health Ministry, 17,604 appointments were offered by doctors via the GAP during the week of May 18. The number of appointments fell to 5,699 for the week of June 1, and to 2,602 for the week of June 15.
On Tuesday, Amyot denied in the media that he had instructed doctors to stop offering appointments to GAP patients.
A conciliator has been appointed in the case.
“I pledge not to be uncompromising over the next few days, and I would ask the same of the FMOQ union leadership,” said Dubé, who now says he is open to extending the agreement, and therefore the bonus.
Opposition calls for rapid resolution to the conflict
At a press conference, interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay said he hoped the dispute would be resolved quickly.
“At the heart of our concerns is access to services for patients,” he said.
Québec solidaire parliamentary leader (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, called on the parties to “put some water in their wine.”
“Everyone needs be in compromise mode. We cannot allow people to lose access to the first line of health care in Quebec,” he said. “Please work together, listen, compromise on both sides so that by the end of the week we can reach an agreement. We cannot go backwards in Quebec when it comes to access to primary care.”
The Parti Québécois (PQ) recalled that at the time of signing, Dubé had described the agreement with family doctors as “historic.”
“Today, that agreement is coming to an end and the minister wants to extend it without having negotiated what comes next. I would ask the minister to be consistent. If he thinks his solution is so good, fine, let him make it work,” said PQ MNA Joël Arseneau.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews