‘We heard nothing’: Doctors Manitoba derides lack of recruitment, retention in provincial budget

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This article was published 10/03/2023 (913 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s worsening physician shortage has been overlooked by lawmakers in the government’s latest budget, Doctors Manitoba says, as the majority of its members report feeling cast aside by the province.

The professional association and advocacy group is raising concerns over spending for the recruitment and retention of doctors, which remains frozen at $25.5 million, following cuts in 2017 and 2018.

“We hear a number like 9.2 per cent increase in health-care funding and we’re hoping to at least hear mention of Manitoba’s physician shortage, which is record high right now, but instead we heard nothing,” Dr. Candace Bradshaw, president of Doctors Manitoba, said Friday.

“We were only mentioned twice in the budget speech (Tuesday) and that was to thank physicians for their service,” she said. “So the thank yous would have been meaningful if they had been accompanied by actions.”

Bradshaw said a recent survey of its approximately 3,000 members found only 11 per cent feel valued by the provincial government — a new record low — and 50 per cent of doctors are looking to reduce their hours, retire or quit working within the next three years, up from 43 per cent last year.

“The people who are here we need to retain and help them want to stay here.”

Targeted recruitment and retention efforts are critical as other provinces appeal to physicians in Manitoba and abroad, Bradshaw said.

British Columbia is modernizing its primary care funding model, which has caused doctors to look west for work, she said. Ontario, meanwhile, has a well-organized program that does the heavy lifting for doctors considering a move, Bradshaw added.

Meanwhile, family doctors in Manitoba are burned out and struggling to keep up with expenses, she said.

Doctors are still waiting for the government to provide the “practice stabilization support” promised in its $200-million health human resources action plan, announced in November, Bradshaw said.

All other Canadian provinces have offered support to physician clinics to cover increased expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, including personal protective equipment, cleaning and increased patient needs, she said.

“Funding has been absolutely flat, and add to that a physician shortage, and it means there’s a lot of vacancies in clinics and empty exam rooms.”

Opposition parties challenged the Progressive Conservative government on the funding freeze in question period this week, and accused the Tories of ignoring the advice of doctors.

“We need hundreds of doctors,” NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said in the chamber. “Manitobans are desperately looking for answers, they’re waiting for family doctors, they’re waiting in emergency rooms, they’re waiting for surgeries.”

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont called the flat spending on doctor recruitment and retention a “historic oversight.”

“This is a huge omission from this budget,” Lamont said. “We’re 400 doctors short, we have the third-lowest number of physicians (per capita) of any province in Canada and there’s no effective plan to keep people here.”

In question period, Health Minister Audrey Gordon reiterated past recruitment, retention and training initiatives, including: a $5-million virtual, centralized emergency care system; $450,000 for Doctors Manitoba peer support programs; increased physician training seats at the University of Manitoba; a task force to address administrative burdens; and premiums to extend clinic hours beyond the typical 9-to-5.

According to the province, doctors billed approximately 7,700 services under the new premium since it came into effect Feb. 1.

On Friday, Gordon announced regulatory changes to remove the requirement for some internationally educated doctors to pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part 1 prior to practicing in Manitoba.

According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, the change will increase recruitment while maintaining safety.

“We are working with Doctors Manitoba to strengthen physician practices here in our province,” Gordon said.

She did not address the frozen spending directly, but said the health human resource action plan is the largest single investment in training, recruitment and retention initiatives.

A spokesperson for her office later clarified the budget covers existing programs including those under the master agreement with Doctors Manitoba, and no programs are being eliminated. New initiatives are covered in the action plan.

Bradshaw said past initiatives have been welcomed but the province must move on its other commitments and the recommendations made by Doctors Manitoba.

“When you leave things off the list and you don’t offer immediate relief and support to physician practices, this is devastating for us,” she said, “Our recommendations were not meant to be cherry-picked.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca