Controversial policy requiring doctors to be available after-hours on hold

A controversial policy for Manitoba doctors is on hold.  It would require physicians to take calls from patients after-hours and on vacation.

The governing body for doctors in the province said it's about doing what's best for Manitobans but a group of doctors said such a move could have negative consequences.

The directive comes from a policy statement from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba which called on doctors to provide appropriate after-hours coverage.

Approved in December 2014 and set to begin this July, the college has since put the plan on hold, at least for now.

"There is significant uncertainty and confusion I think caused by the language of the statement,” said Dr. Anna Ziomek, Registrar for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Dr. Ziomek said the college also delayed the plan because physicians were struggling to find ways to comply with the policy.

She said the policy wouldn’t require doctors to go into the office and see a patient after-hours, but they would have to make themselves available by phone.

Dr. Brent Young, a family physician at Prairie Medical Centre on Taylor Avenue said Manitobans already have access to a phone service called Health Links which provides answers to health care questions 24-hours, 7-days a week.

Dr. Young said he and his colleagues weren't consulted about the changes and he worries providing coverage around the clock would have consequences.

"If I’m on-call all night that's going to take a toll on my clinic time,” said Dr. Young.  “I'm unlikely to run a clinic the next day which means my patients have less access to me."

Winnipeg resident Laraine Thio said when she worries about her health she makes an appointment to see her family doctor.

"I can usually get an appointment within a few days with him,” said Thio.  “I have to wait, but that's to be expected."

Thio said she has a good relationship with her family doctor but feels this policy would make a stressful job even more difficult.

"I think they work long hours now and if I were ever having a problem in the evening or on the weekend I would go to a walk-in or emergency."

Family physician Dr. Tim Ross of Primacy Medical Clinic on Bison Drive said the policy would cause doctors to burnout.  He fears physician recruiting would also take a hit and he said diagnosing someone by phone could put patients at risk.

"If a patient calls me and they've got a cough and maybe they're a little bit short of breath I may make the mistake of saying, oh, this is probably a cold come see me in the morning.  Whereas it could be something more serious that actually requires evaluation," said Dr. Ross.

A controversial policy for Manitoba doctors is on hold.  It would require physicians to take calls from patients after-hours and on vacation.

The college has gathered feedback from physicians and will now work with doctors to look at their concerns and explore ways to provide after-hours coverage.