Sask. government offers pay bump for family doctors who work later hours
The Saskatchewan government will offer a bump in pay to encourage family doctors to work later hours.
On Friday, the provincial government announced an agreement with the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) to pay fee-for-service family doctors an extra $8 to $12 per visit if they're seeing a patient after-hours.
The province hopes the move might take some of the pressure off Saskatchewan's emergency rooms.
“Ensuring patients have access to family physicians and primary care services remains a top priority for our government,” health minister Paul Merriman said in a news release.
The head of the SMA said while it's "not a comprehensive solution" the change will "help with access while reducing the pressure on emergency departments."
"We continue to work with the Ministry of Health on other, sustainable changes – including a new compensation model for fee-for-service family physicians and a move to family physician-led care teams in the community," Dr. John Gjevre said in the news release.
The move comes the same week as the government introduced legislation paving the way for physician assistants to work in the province.
While it's not the agreement doctors have been looking for, it's a step in the right direction.
"We're working on better access to a family physician and a family physician led care team," Merriman said. "This is one step in that process. We will work out the details over the next probably week or so. My hope is to get this implemented as soon as possible."
The agreement, which is yet to be finalized, will give added compensation to urgent care clinics offering after hours services, which is expected to help the immense demand on emergency departments.
Family doctors will also receive a modest boost for working longer hours at these clinics.
"This is not the end cure-all fix. This is a measure that's going to help support our physicians to try to expand access and capacity while we work on transforming healthcare," Saskatchewan Medical Association president Dr. John Gjevre said.
The goal is to keep more clinics open longer to see more patients, but it falls well short of healthcare changes seen in British Columbia and Alberta in recent months. Last August, B.C. announced sweeping changes to primary care which saw the province ditch the fee-for-service, or pay per visit, system that is common in Canada.
Gjevre and other doctors at the announcement admit the current fee per visit system isn't working. Dr. Carla Holinaty, a family physician who helped negotiate the urgent care funding, said no new graduates coming out of medical school want to be paid per visit with overhead costs limiting what a doctor takes home at the end of the day.
Dr. Adam Ogieglo said he often deals with patients experiencing more complex issues that can't be remedied quickly. If a person presents with chest pains or mini-stroke symptoms he will spend roughly an hour with them, which doesn't match the level of compensation people might expect.
"I'll spend an hour with that patient and I'll earn $44 -- If it's after hours. If it's during business hours, I get $40. That's not adequate. I don't think anyone thinks that family physicians should earn $44 an hour."
A change of family physician compensation and a move to a more team-based care model are the top desires from doctors, who say it will provide the most instant benefits to the healthcare system.
"The longer we wait, we sort of lose that shiny appeal where some physicians would look at Saskatchewan and think 'That's a place I would like to go to,'" Ogieglo said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.
Some millennials say federal budget was 'a letdown' amid cost of living struggles
It’s a picture-perfect scene: Adam and Maria Reynolds are playing with their daughters inside their Port Coquitlam, B.C. home. Watching them together, you might not realize the Reynolds household is stretched to its limit.