Quebec federation of doctors notes a change in tone after Quebec's first offer to GPs

Treasury Board president Sonia LeBel and Premier Francois Legault are currently in negotiations with the federation of Quebec doctors. (Peter McCabe, The Canadian Press)

The Quebec federation of doctors (FMOQ) received an initial offer from the Quebec government on Tuesday afternoon, but it does not yet address the issue of pay, and contains mainly "workstreams" to improve access to family doctors.

 In an interview with The Canadian Press, FMOQ president Dr. Marc-André Amyot said: "There are no monetary parameters in this proposal. We're not talking about money. We're talking about broad principles and work streams."

What Quebec is proposing is six pages long.

"It's a meagre offer in the sense that it's not precise," said Amyot.

A written statement from the Treasury Board office stresses that the offer focuses on improving access to family doctors.

"At the end of these negotiations, the public must feel that there has been a change in access to care on the ground and not just in theory," the statement reads.

Amyot is prepared to admit that family doctors are part of the solution, but he believes that Quebec also bears some responsibility for the shortcomings in access to family doctors.

Although there are still some "adjustments in the public discourse," the FMOQ president noted a change in tone on the part of the government.

"I note that Premier François Legault no longer wants to fight us -- at the end of the parliamentary session, he had said that he wanted to fight the physicians’ union," he said.

Legault said that he would "have to fight to the bitter end" in negotiations with the FMOQ.

"They didn't take that back yesterday, so I see that as positive," said Amyot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 28, 2024.

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