More than 200 Quebec doctors apply to work in Ontario, N.B. in protest

The number of Quebec doctors applying for licences in other provinces is growing in the wake of a controversial new law that ties part of their pay to performance targets and imposes strict sanctions for non-compliance.

On Friday, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) confirmed to CTV News that, since Oct. 23, it has received 148 licence applications from doctors living in Quebec, up from 70 on Wednesday. Among those who have applied to work in Ontario in the last week, two have been granted licences, said college spokesperson Mickey Cirak.

Meanwhile, the number of Quebec doctors applying to work in New Brunswick has jumped from an average of about three or four in a month, to more than 50 in October, according to spokesperson Aleisha LaMorre.

• READ MORE: ‘Call 1-800-DOUG-FORD’: Ontario premier rolling out red carpet for fed-up Quebec doctors

The total number of doctors who end up leaving could be even higher as the Collège des médecins du Québec said 200 have “taken steps” to apply for licences in other provinces.

The exodus of doctors comes amid intensifying pressure on the Quebec government to abandon its doctor compensation reform, passed by the Legault government that has struggled to reach its goal of ensuring all Quebecers have a family doctor. About 1.5 million do not have access to a primary care physician.

• READ MORE: What’s in Quebec’s controversial doctors’ bill?

The law, known as Bill 2, changes how doctors are paid in a new compensation scheme that claws back a portion of their pay if targets set by the government are not met. It also introduces sanctions for doctors who take part in “concerted actions,” which includes doing less work, refusing to teach medical students, leaving the province, or anything the government considers as slowing down their workload.

Fines can reach as high as $20,000 for each day a violation is committed. The fine for groups is up to $500,000.

Quebec’s college of physicians calls for law to be immediately suspended

In a letter published Friday, Quebec’s professional order of physicians is calling for an immediate suspension of the law, known as Bill 2, which was passed last Saturday.

The Collège des médecins du Québec said the law was “brutally imposed” on doctors and has several shortcomings, “including linking physicians’ remuneration to performance indicators; a collective responsibility that does not extend to other health professionals; and a lack of guarantee of stable funding for health care and services in line with the population needs of the territories.”

It said it fears the bill will have the opposite effect of what the government intends and that if implemented in its current form, “it will damage the healthcare system and reduce accessibility.”

“Law 2 enacts punitive and surveillance measures whose main effect is to exacerbate the climate and demoralize physicians,” the college added.

Quebec’s health minister said in a written statement that the ministry wants to calm tensions and “and continue discussions in a respectful manner.

“We are aware that the proposed changes raise questions, and it is precisely to answer these questions that informational webinars will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday. We remain convinced that the proposed new payment model is in the best interests of both patients and physicians,” the statement reads.

It’s been a tumultuous week for the CAQ since the bill was adopted. Premier François Legault’s social services minister, Lionel Carmant, announced he was leaving the party on Thursday, one day after his daughter, Dr. Laurence Carmant, penned a letter in Le Devoir saying she had no other choice but to seek employment in another province if Quebec does not “allow her to practice freely.”

Carmant said it was a “heart-wrenching” decision, but that he had to put his family first.

A day earlier, the province’s federation of medical specialists filed a request in Quebec Superior Court for a temporary stay of certain parts of the law it says violate fundamental rights. The case is expected to be heard next week.

Students at all 4 Quebec medical schools vote to strike

Students at Quebec’s four medical schools — Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montreal, Université de Laval and McGill University — have also voted for an unlimited general strike mandate over the new law.

Opposition to the new law has also come from outside of Quebec. The Canadian Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada have said the reform will have “detrimental” effects on health care services in Quebec and strain health-care workers “who are already stretched to their limits.”

Legault has vowed to stand firm with the law, saying this week that the reforms are long overdue.

With files from The Canadian Press