Ontario doctors hold contract vote, result expected today

Doctors voted Sunday on a new fee agreement reached bythe Ontario Medical Association and the government, with some membersurgingtheir colleagues to reject it.

The vote took place during a townhall-style meeting that lastedover four hours, as several doctors took the floor to offer theiropinions of the agreement.

The four-year deal would increase Ontario's $11.5-billionphysician services budget by 2.5 per cent a year, to $12.9 billionby 2020, and allows doctors to co-manage the system with theMinistry of Health.

The Liberal government imposed fee cuts for some doctors'services last year, but the new agreement promises no moreunilateral cuts over the four year deal.

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However, some doctors are angry that the OMA failed to getagreement on binding arbitration, although the association willcontinue to fight for that right in court.

More patients, heavier workload

Monique Moreau has been a family doctor for close to two decades. She says every yearthe list of patients gets longer and the workload heavier.

"There is increased demandbecause the population is increasing and is getting older," Moreau told CBC News on Sunday.

There is increased demandbecause the population is increasing and is getting older.- Monique Moreau, family physician

Moreauis part of the group Concerned Ontario Doctors, which staged rallies and protestmarches urging physicians to vote against the deal, warning itdoesn't provide adequate funding to provide the services patientsneed.

While it increases health care funding by 2.5 percent for physician services,Moreausays more money is necessary to fund more doctors, more medical proceduresand eventually to reducewaitinglists.

Radiologist Dr. David Jacobs, chair of diagnostic imaging for theOMA, says no one is asking for a raise from themselves, and whatthey really want is better funding of health care.

Stability welcome

OMA president Virginia Walley says the OMA knows the deal "isn'tperfect," andsome doctors are angry, especially at what shecalls the "disrespect" the government has shown by its unilateralfee cuts.

But she says the fee agreement brings funding stability to doctorsafter two years of uncertainty.

"This agreement doubles the growth rate that we now have in our systemand provides some extra funding on top of that," Walley said Sunday.

Some doctors, like Brenna Velker, are actually concerned that if the agreement isn't ratified,they will end up with a worse deal.

"I think the cuts could continue because we have no protection against unilateral action," Velker said.

A spokeswoman for the OMA said results of the vote will mostlylikely be known by Monday.