(Quebec) Doctors dissatisfied with the Dubé reform are spending $1,000 out of their own pockets to fill a $10 million pot with which to challenge it. Unusually, they are supporting healthcare professionals preparing for the strike.
Posted at 7:45 am
The Federation of Specialist Physicians of Quebec (FMSQ) delegates gathered in their assembly approved on Thursday the payment of a special membership fee of $1,000 each for the year 2024. With around 10,000 members, the prize pool will reach at least 10 million. The goal? Be prepared to be heard as Christian Dubé’s reform moves forward.
The resolution, obtained by La Presse, takes into account “the importance of promoting specialized medicine in the interests of patients in the context of the planned adoption” of Bill 15, which aims to interconnect health and social services. The FMSQ also points to “the difficulties in predicting” the renegotiation of its framework agreement, which expired on April 1, 2023.
This is the contract between the FMSQ and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs to regulate the practice conditions and remuneration of specialists.
The FMSQ therefore assumes that “there is a possibility that special costs will have to be incurred for the support.” [ses] Priorities” if Minister Dubé does not change his reform, which could involve legal action. The last time members of the doctors’ union decided to pay a similar special contribution was in 2017, when there was a dispute with former Health Minister Gaétan Barrette.
Report rejected
This time, the FMSQ and Minister Christian Dubé disagree on several elements of this comprehensive reform. Experts fear that medical expertise will be “removed” from decision-making power. Mr Dubé would also like to entrust certain medical activities to specialists, for example general practitioners. This could mean extra guards or inconvenient shifts.
The FMSQ does not say that it is substantively opposed, but rather wants a negotiated agreement with Quebec rather than enshrining it in law1.
“In recent months, the FMSQ has increased its efforts to contribute to improvement [projet de loi] 15 and the health network. However, most of the Federation’s suggestions were ignored,” regrets Dr. Vincent Oliva, president of the FMSQ, in a statement sent to La Presse on Friday.
“For this reason, an extraordinary contribution was unanimously approved by the delegates [FMSQ] to give her the tools she needs to make her voice heard,” he confirmed.
Support for professionals
In addition, the FMSQ adopted a resolution to support health professionals in their negotiations with the government. Members of the Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation – the largest nurses’ union – voted 95% in favor of the strike this week.
Strike days are planned for November 8th and 9th, which will have an impact on the work of skilled workers. According to our information, the resolution came “from the plenary session”, that is, it was the delegates who raised the issue. The resolution gives the FMSQ “a mandate to demonstrate solidarity with health care workers who recently adopted a strike mandate.”
Although they have “rejected any kind of pressure tactics”, the specialists want to “express their dissatisfaction with the lack of resources available for the treatment of patients and the deterioration of the practice conditions of all health professionals”, we emphasize.
This is the first time that the doctors’ union has supported the health network’s employee unions by resolution in their negotiations with Quebec.