Toronto (Mar 1) – The province and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) announced today that they have reached an agreement on the implementation of the final year of the current physician services agreement (PSA).
As part of this agreement, Ontario doctors will receive a 2.8 per cent compensation increase in 2023-24 for services provided as part of the publicly funded health care system. An agreement was also reached that will see an expedited arbitration of the first year of the next PSA, which will provide clarity for physicians in 2024-25.
“The Ontario government recognizes the pivotal role that doctors play in our health care system every single day,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We look forward to continuing to work together with the Ontario Medical Association to support our doctors and connect more Ontario patients to convenient care, closer to home.”
Dr. Andrew Park, OMA, says the agreement is a step forward for Ontario’s doctors but much more work to do to retain the current workforce and attract new doctors to all fields of medicine.
“We look forward to continued discussions with government and our members to ensure that physician needs are addressed, and that Ontario has a sustainable health care system,” Park stated.
The family practice group of the OMA says that while the increase is an improvement over the previously promised amount of 0% for Year 3, it is only a small step in the direction of addressing the current crisis in family medicine.
“Investing in fuel-rich hospitals doesn’t do anything for the average Ontarian who can’t get a family doctor or access basic healthcare services,” says Dr. Aly Abdulla on behalf of Dr. David Barber, Chair of the Section on General and Family Practice (SGFP) of the Ontario Medical Association. “80% of healthcare happens in the community, and 20% in hospitals. Conversely, this increased funding distributes 80% of the money to hospitals and specialists and only 20% to family doctors.”
“After taxes and overhead, this funding amounts to an extra $12 a day for the average family physician,” says Dr. Abdulla. “That isn’t going to help hire and retain more family physicians or get Ontarians the community care they need. It might be enough for a coffee and a bagel.”
