New policy to make Manitoba’s doctors available on call has been put on hold

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This article was published 09/02/2015 (3353 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba has decided to delay implementation of a controversial policy that would have required doctors to set up an on-call system for patients by July 1.

The college, which licenses Manitoba doctors, issued a news release announcing the postponement this afternoon.

“We will be deferring implementation pending further discussions and inputs from our members,” said Dr. Anna Ziomek, the college’s registrar.

Ziomek said the college believes the “vast majority” of Manitoba physicians support “availability and consistency of care as the best medical practice for patients.”

But the group said it is now inviting its members to offer suggestions on the best way to meet this goal.

The new policy directive, referred to as Statement 190, would require doctors to ensure that patients’ urgent medical needs were met after hours, on weekends and when they are on vacation. This could be done by several members of a clinic or medical practice taking turns being on call.

The policy was passed by the college’s 23-member governing council and announced to the province’s nearly 2,700 doctors in its December newsletter.

There was an almost immediate pushback from physicians, who said they had not been consulted. Many also questioned the need for a formal on-call system in an era of walk-in clinics and 24-hour help lines, such as Health Links.

They said the new policy could result in doctors taking on fewer patients and some older doctors taking early retirement.

Doctors Manitoba, which bargains on behalf of physicians, said the directive could cause undue hardship for doctors practising alone or in remote locations. It also raised questions about how doctors would be compensated for being on call.