Press release

FMSQ considers Bill 34 a threat to specialized health care

Montreal, August 11, 2009 - The Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) is greatly concerned about the effect of the new Bill 34 on medical practice and access to specialized and subsepcialized health care. A clear example of care that may become a casualty of this Bill would be the voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Dr. Gaétan Barrette, the President of the FMSQ, considers that, apart from physicians who will be subject to excessive legislative and regulatory measures, the greatest losers under this harmful legislation will be women. “The voluntary termination of a pregnancy is a stressful and emotional event. The women concerned have a right to choose the safe, anonymous environment of a medical clinic within the necessary time limits, rather than a hospital.

“Hospitals already have more than enough to contend with. Despite great promises and speeches, if they cannot deliver certain types of treatment within required time frames and if physicians with office practices decline to perform such procedures rather than become a specialized medical centre, it will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” explained Dr. Barrette. “We cannot do otherwise than be concerned about how patients will obtain such services within the time parameters”.

The FMSQ, which is in favor of a strong public system, pointed out that physicians could provide many services in their offices more efficiently than hospitals, where the priority should be more acute cases requiring hospitalization.

The FMSQ disagrees with Bill 34, and considers that its provisions fail to improve the quality or availability of care. It will, instead, add to an already lengthy list of needless bureaucratic measures, undermine physicians’ cooperation, attack their rights and professional independence, give discretionary power to the Minister of Health and reduce patient access to our medical care.

On May 26, the Federation presented a brief before the Parliamentary Commission on Bill 34, emphasizing that many other medical procedures would fall victim to this excessive legislation. For example, various benign and malignant tumors could no longer be treated in an office setting under the new rules. “Removing such procedures from office practice will create longer hospital waiting lists and hinder access to care. Unfortunately, patients themselves will be the first to feel the consequences,” added Dr. Barrette.

The FMSQ deplores the fact that the Minister of Health is once again misleading the public. This time, he has stated that the standards in question are desired by the Collège des médecins du Québec, which the latter denied in a press release yesterday. The Federation wonders how long Quebecers will tolerate an elected government minister who knowingly misinforms them.

The Federation also wonders about the government’s tendency to want discretionary powers over office practice. It points to other ambitions of the Minister of Health in this area, particularly with regard to Bill 26 - An Act respecting clinical and research activities relating to assisted procreation – where, again, the Minister intends to give himself a number of discretionary powers and impose a whole host of requirements on assisted procreation centres!

We invite you to consult the FMSQ’s brief on Bill 34 (in French only), its appearance before the Parliamentary Commission on May 26, together with the “Word from the President” on the same subject that appeared in the June 2009 issue of “Le Spécialiste”.

The mission of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec is to defend and promote the economic, professional, scientific and social interests of the medical specialists who are members of its affiliated associations. The Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec numbers more than 8,000 members in Quebec, representing 35 medical specialties. It is the sole organization recognized by government with respect to negotiating medical specialists' collective agreements, and is also consulted on all aspects of the organization of medical care in Quebec