Quebec's medical specialists have agreed to see more patients, and to see them in a more timely fashion.

The move comes two days after the healthcare reform act Bill 20 was voted into law.

Specialists have agreed in principle to reserve appointment times for patients referred by general practitioners, and to create an urgency scale to see new patients based on the state of their medical problem.

Medical specialists will also see more patients in hospitals.

Health Minister Gaetan Barrette, who was a medical specialist before getting into politics, said he is very pleased with the agreement.

"It is extremely difficult, as we speak today, to have access. Sometimes it takes months, sometimes it takes years," said Barrette.

Specialists have two years to improve the timeliness of patient care or else the financial penalties in Bill 20 will come into effect as of January 2018.

"For me it was extremely important to ensure that patients have access to the complete continuum of care in this province," said Barrette.

"It was not sufficient to address the family physician side of the equation. We have to address the other side and this is what we have done today."

Another element of the agreement is that in early 2016, RAMQ will pay radiologists for ultrasounds no matter where they take place. Previously the provincial government only paid for ultrasounds performed in hospitals.

Medical specialists said they understand it is important to improve access for patients, but still feel it was not necessary to pass a law to that effect. They argue they were negotiating in good faith with the provincial government, and could have worked out a timeline without resorting to a law. 

"We all know that Dr. Barrette likes to have coercive ways to do things and we think that negotiation is way better because we need collaboration,: said Dr. Diane Francoeur, president of the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists.

The opposition says it believes the law doesn't guarantee patients will have quicker access to care.

"Our concern is that there is nothing really concrete, no measurable objectives," said Diane Lamarre, PQ health critic.