Minister Christian Dubé is urging family doctors to take 13,000 more patients and is using “law 20” adopted by Gaétan Barrette to achieve this. Targeted patients are considered the most vulnerable because they have serious illnesses and need short-term follow-up.
“Law 20 has never been applied and that is what doctors are afraid of,” declared the minister during a press scrum at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
This coup comes while the minister and the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec (FMOQ) are negotiating the agreement on their remuneration.
The minister wants the 13,000 patients to be taken care of by a family doctor, not by a group of doctors as is the case for patients who pass through the front line access window (GAP).
To force the doctors’ hand, he plans to table a regulation that would come into force within 45 days.
This regulation makes it possible to implement the provisions of “Law 20” which was adopted at the time of Minister Gaétan Barrette, but which had never been implemented.
“Law 20” notably provided for sanctions for recalcitrant doctors, but Mr. Dubé affirms that he has not reached this stage.
More details will follow.
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