Quebec makes new offer to medical specialists who announce more pressure tactics

Specialist waitlists grow to 1.2 million

Angry at the Legault government, medical specialists announced they will apply further pressure tactics starting next week.

“Of course, this will cause disruption, ... but that’s the price we have to pay to make ourselves heard,” said Dr. Vincent Oliva, president of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), at a press conference in Quebec City on Thursday.

Starting Monday, specialists will boycott medical-administrative meetings on the organization of care. Earlier this summer, they already stopped participating in meetings on the Digital Health Record (DSN).

They will also stop teaching undergraduate medical students, but will continue to teach residents “for the time being.”

“I’m sure that at the university level, they won’t be happy and will say that this threatens students’ graduation,” said the FMSQ president. “In the longer term, if students miss their graduation, we will have to reorganize internships in time.”

Pressure tactics could intensify in the coming weeks.

Are doctors considering organizing protests or rallies? asked a journalist.

“We’re thinking about it,” replied Dr. Oliva.

The FMSQ’s announcement comes as the Legault government refuses to withdraw Bill 106, which would tie up to 25 per cent of doctors’ remuneration to performance indicators.

However, to achieve these objectives, doctors need tools, argued Dr. Oliva. For example, he would like the government to commit to opening more operating rooms.

“We want to treat patients, that’s what we want,” he said at a press conference. The doctors he represents are “fed up with being told that they don’t work and that they are lazy.”

“Currently, we don’t have the tools to work, and that’s the issue at the heart of the negotiations. The government refuses to make the commitments to give us the resources to meet the targets,” he insisted.

Bill 106 is closely linked to the renegotiation of the framework agreement with doctors, which expired on March 31, 2023. The FMSQ is represented at the negotiating table by former Prime Minister Lucien Bouchard.

On Wednesday, the Legault government announced that it was increasing its offer to medical specialists by $72.4 million. The documents also specify performance targets.

For example, in emergency rooms, the target for treating patients within 90 minutes is 50 per cent in October 2025, then 80 per cent starting in July 2028.

Starting in 2026, specialists will also have to perform 99 per cent of surgeries within a maximum of 12 months, while almost all oncological surgeries will have to be performed within 56 days of the request.

In its offer, the government also proposes to undertake work to “rebalance” remuneration between the different specialties.

The following specialties would be addressed as a priority: radiology, ophthalmology, cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, and allergy.

‘Very concerned’

Reacting to the FMSQ’s statement on Thursday, Health Minister Christian Dubé deplored an attack on students “and potentially patients.”

“This is unacceptable. The place for discussion is at the negotiating table,” he said in a message sent to The Canadian Press.

“We are very concerned about the additional pressure tactics announced ... We will continue to be vigilant about the impact of these pressure tactics on the population,” he added.

The College of Physicians also expressed “concern about the potential impact of the pressure tactics being considered by the FMSQ on patients and access to care.”

“We will monitor the situation closely and encourage the parties to negotiate,” said its president, Mauril Gaudreault, on the social network Bluesky.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 11, 2025.

Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press