The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens (FMOQ) in Quebec is warning that patients may soon be without access to primary care services if the government does not reach a new agreement with them by the end of next month. The current agreement, set to expire on May 31st, includes a program called Guichet d’accès à la première ligne (GAP) and provides physicians with a bonus for treating orphan patients. Health Minister Christian Dubé has stated that while there is no more money in the deal, the agreement itself will remain in place as negotiations continue.
Despite the impending deadline, only half of the nearly 913,000 patients registered with a family medicine group have been able to secure appointments through the GAP since its creation. Dubé reassured patients that they will not lose access to their family medicine groups, as physicians are expected to continue seeing patients even without a new deal in place. However, the FMOQ is concerned that doctors may leave in the interim, leading to a potential loss of healthcare providers if the negotiations are not successful.
The FMOQ vice-president, Dr. Guillaume Charbonneau, expressed disappointment at the possibility of starting over after two years of work and progress. The agreement had encouraged doctors nearing retirement and emergency room physicians to stay on as part of family medicine groups. Charbonneau raised the concern that if the system is abruptly stopped by the government, it may be challenging to bring back those who had previously participated. Health Minister Dubé accused the federation of spreading misinformation and assured the public that the government does not intend to tear up the agreement, despite opposition parties questioning the trustworthiness of his promises.
The issue of access to primary care is critical in Quebec, where more than 600,000 residents are still on waiting lists for a family doctor. The FMOQ is advocating for a new deal with the government to ensure continued access to vital primary care services for patients across the province. While Dubé maintains that negotiations are ongoing and that patients will not lose access to their family doctors, there is uncertainty and concern among healthcare providers and patients about the future of primary care services in Quebec. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold as the May 31st deadline approaches and the fate of the agreement between the FMOQ and the government hangs in the balance.
