Negotiations between the Quebec government and the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec (FMOQ) are accelerating to reach an agreement on the front-line access window (GAP). Health Minister Christian Dubé indicates that “significant progress” was made yesterday. He says he expects a “response today” from the family doctors union.
But the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain. “It can go one way or the other,” said Minister Christian Dubé during a press scrum at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, where he will deliver a speech this afternoon to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “I think we agreed it needed an answer today. »
The agreement between Quebec and the FMOQ on the GAP ended on June 1. Since this date, family doctors are no longer entitled to a bonus of $120 when they see an orphan or a patient in collective care during a consultation.
Result: the number of medical appointments offered through GAP dropped drastically. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS), 5,841 medical consultations were available at GAP as of June 6 for the week of the 15th. Quebec usually has between 18,000 and 23,000 per week.
Emergency rooms in certain regions are suffering the repercussions of the drop in this supply. In Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Gaspésie, patients ended up in emergency rooms to obtain, for example, medication renewals, according to the Regroupement des chefs d’urgence du Québec.
“At the moment, the emergency is unfortunately the alternative that many people are taking,” Christian Dubé admitted in the press scrum. But when we call the GAP, people can be referred to a pharmacist – you have seen how we have extended the services – they can go to a CLSC where a specialized nurse practitioner can also take care of them. »
Christian Dubé underlines that doctors have continued to offer availability to GAP since the end of the agreement. Appointments are also available at medical clinics. In total, around 300,000 medical consultations are given each week by family doctors in Quebec, he said.
The Minister of Health is scheduled to deliver a conference to members of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal at 1 p.m. Health network union members are currently demonstrating in front of the Palais des Congrès.
More details to come…
