Let’s hope our patients understand

Re: Doctors: Job action on the table, Dec. 29.

David Reevely fairly summarizes the situation between Ontario doctors and the Liberal government. Like he says, there is a growing realization for many physicians that only job action will bring to public attention that doctors do not have the bargaining tools to get a fair deal out of the government. Binding arbitration could provide stability in negotiations for doctors’ fees that would prevent the current situation and the concern among many that medical care would be affected by job action.

For many reasons, job actions by physicians are limited. First of all, our great failing tends to be overwork in favour of our patients, to the detriment of our personal and family lives. Second, our governing body, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, limits the actions we can take. Finally, finding actions to take that will make the public angry at the government and not at doctors is a challenge.

But here’s the problem right now: Ontario’s doctors’ morale is currently at an all-time low and patience is wearing thin. Laws such as Bill 41 that try to corral medical practice with a “Madein-Toronto” model for regional health care are a slap in the face to the many physicians who volunteer their time to participate in local hospital and LHIN committees. Their work is exactly what the system needs and there is no call for the government to pass legislation ignoring all this effort.

On top of this, the minister of health and long-term care decides to negotiate in public with doctors, putting out an offer in a press conference on Dec. 14. The press got to ask questions about what the minister believes doctors should be paid before the Ontario Medical Association, doctors’ bargaining agent, even had a chance to confirm the minister’s signature. That’s not an offer, that’s a publicity stunt. Surely Ontario’s doctors deserve better.

As a physician, the minister knows perfectly well that most doctors are not watching his antics because they are too busy in their offices with the December flu season, Christmas stress and filling out everyone’s end-of-year forms. Doctors in Ontario want the minister of health to play fair and we hope that our patients will understand if we have to insist on it. Dr. Gail Beck, OMA Board Director, Ottawa