Hot Topic

'My patience has run out' with doctors who don't work enough, Legault says

A record number of Quebecers don't have access to a family doctor. Effectively, around 800 000 patients are currently on the waiting list. As a last solution, François Legault, the prime minister of Quebec, proposes to ''force'' family doctors to take more patients in charge with a law that could penalize doctors who do not have enough patients. According to him, an investigation should be done on physicians who have less than 1000 patients. As recent statistics revealed, those family doctors represent around 52%. However, Legault believes that there is a big part of them who is working hard enough. According to the prime minister, if all general practitioners take their responsibilities to see more patients, a big part of the problem will be solved. Moreover, right now, hospitals are full because people with minor problems go to the hospital. Without access to a family doctor, it is the patient's only option. At the emergency department, patients with a minor condition represent 40% of the beneficiaries. Also, the Fédération de médecins omnipracticiens du Québec (FMOQ) is severely condemning Legault's idea to use a law to force doctors to be more productive. Effectively, FMOQ does not think it is an appropriate idea because, among other things, it could cause psychological distress among physicians. 

Source :

AUTHIER, Philip. Montreal Gazette, 'My patience has run out' with doctors who don't work enough, Legault says, (site consulted on 2021-12-01), https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/opposition-slams-premier-legault-over-his-blacklist-of-doctors

In my opinion, forcing family doctors to take more patients in charge is not the way to solve the problem of accessibility to health professionals. To begin, family doctors are considered independent workers. In this optic, I think the government should not manage their schedule. Furthermore, it is clear that family physicians who work less made this choice. For example, some of them probably made the choice to work less to spend more time with their family. In this sense, I think it is immoral to penalize family doctors with fewer patients knowing it is their conscious choice with probably noble reasons. So, for this hot topic, I am on the side of the Fédération des médecins omnipracticiens du Québec (FMOQ). Furthermore, I believe there is a gold mine of other possibilities to consider. Firstly, I think we should teach patients to go see pharmacists. The pharmacist can treat many minor problems. I work as a pharmacy technician, and I see the pharmacist solving little health problems daily. Secondly, training more nurse practitioners is a solution to consider. They can do a big part of a family doctor's job. At the pharmacy, I receive prescriptions from nurse practitioners daily. Thirdly, I think doctors' salaries should be lower to be able to form more of them. Personally, I think the salary is sometimes exaggerated. I would not mind making less money.

Image: PICARD, André. THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Quebec wants to force family doctors to see more patients. Is that the way to fix primary care?, (site consulted on 2021-12-03), https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-quebec-wants-to-force-family-doctors-to-see-more-patients-is-that-the/