Province imposes salary deal on doctors

Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne has imposed a one-year salary deal on the province’s doctors as the government attempts to hash out a long-term contract with physicians.

Beginning April 1, physicians paid on a fee-for-service basis and doctors paid under alternate relationship plans (ARPS) will get a two per cent increase, totalling $60 million.

Doctors in the province’s primary care network will receive an additional $12 per patient, bringing the per capita base funding to $62. It’s the first funding boost for the networks — designed to improve access to family physicians and other front-line health workers — since they were established in 2003.

Horne said the total $93-million, one-year salary increase will come out of Alberta Health’s existing budget. Negotiators will continue to hammer out a deal with physicians, whose $3.1-billiona-year deal expired almost a year ago, he said.

“What I’m hoping is it sends a signal to our doctors that we value their work, we value what they do for patients and we want them to have a sense of stability while these negotiations continue,” said Horne.

The Alberta Medical Association could not be reached for comment Monday.

Horne said he spoke with AMA president Dr. Linda Slocombe Monday before sending a letter to the province’s physicians.

Contract talks are set to resume today.

Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services and the AMA have been trying to work out a deal since the former eight-year master agreement expired March 31, 2011.

An interim agreement in principle proposed to freeze physician fees for the next two years and provide a cost-of-living increase in the third year. In July, the AMA rejected a proposal to extend the interim agreement and Alberta’s physicians have been without an agreement ever since.

Horne said the previous eight-year master deal with doctors took a long time to nail down and he felt positive heading into today’s talks.

Alberta Liberal health critic David Swann questioned whether the salary boost — which comes as Alberta heads toward a spring election — was intended to try to buy peace from the medical profession before the vote.

Swann said doctors deserve the salary boost, but noted the cash comes at a time when the health minister needs a “win” after grappling with a number of hot-button issues.

A Health Quality Council of Alberta report released last week found widespread instances of physician muz- zling within the system. It also stated that emergency room waits remain too long. Cabinet is set to meet today to discuss the health quality council report’s 21 recommendations and also finalize the terms of reference for a public health inquiry.

“They know they’ve got to do some dramatic things to get back in the favour of a lot of the professionals in the province and I think a lot of the citizens,” said Swann.

Lloyd Maybaum, head of the Calgary and Area Medical Staff Society, said the raise is unexpected — but welcome.

“We need more support for primary care networks,” said Maybaum. “This is no doubt a bid to ensure peace before the election, but at the end of the day it’s good news.”

Horne dismissed the notion Monday’s salary raise was a pre-election move.

“Doctors are quite capable of speaking for themselves. What we’re responding to is a very long hiatus without a long-term agreement with our physicians.”

In a letter to Alberta doctors Monday, Horne said he hoped the new cash will help extend physician hours in primary care networks. There are 40 of the networks in Alberta, which employ family physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians and other health workers.

The government will also extend all other program funding and benefits to March 31, 2013.