Category: Politics

Addendum: In light of the terror attacks in Paris last night, apparently the organizers have decided that the rally will join with the vigil at Nathan Phillips Square. Those who still show up will meet at Queen’s Park until 1330 then walk down to the Square. Aside from the pictures, the post below remains unchanged from the original. I add this just in case readers were attending based on this post.

I talked with a doctor this week. She works hard, spends way too long with patients and supports a large family.

“I can’t do it anymore. It’s just not working out. My billings are already down 30%. I wish I could get out, find something else. Anything!“

I heard from another doc. His RRSPs won’t support a lower middle class retirement. He cannot work harder. His accountant expressed concerns. But this doc is spent. He once had fire. Now he’s exhausted, demoralized.

Of course, some doctors feel almost no financial pain from Premier Wynne’s cuts. These rare docs earn a tonne, have a low overhead and live well within their ample means. But they’re angry too. Cuts make it harder to get patients needed care. Cuts make a difficult job almost impossible.

Doctors want action. Many feel desperate. Even if they find success with the Charter Challenge, what can they do now? And next year?

Queen’s Park Rally

A large group of grassroots physicians and concerned citizens have pooled their energy.  They organized a rally to start at 12 noon tomorrow, in front of the Ontario Parliament at Queen’s Park. They did this with no outside funding or help. It is not a strike, just a peaceful event to raise awareness. Doctors cannot strike.

 

Pay attention to the media this weekend but don’t hold your breath. Given cozy ties between the Liberal party and the CBC, we cannot expect positive coverage from them, if any at all.

Some outlets will take this rally at face value and report facts: Premier Wynne cut spending on medical services and now docs find it really hard to provide care. Clinics have closed (infographic). Docs have retired. New graduates plan to leave or have left already.

Many doctors tell me they need to take action and do something. Anything. Apparently, a huge crowd of doctors and concerned citizens will show up at Queen’s Park tomorrow. If nothing else, it will probably make them feel better. And who knows, maybe government will realize people have had enough?

 

Wise people insist that patience is a virtue. No question, absence makes us fonder for some things. But waiting ranks between nuisance and torture most of the time.

Just wait ’til your father gets home!

Someone’s here from a lawyer’s office. I’ll let her in.

Thanks for calling back. Just wait while I get the doctor.

The minutes between hearing – and our new life that follows – linger long after the news. Waiting separates our old self; it opens an existential gap filled with uncertainty.

Sue Government

Doctors launched a challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms against the Government of Ontario this week. It argues that government ignored doctors’ rights. It will take years to settle. This is the second time doctors have had to sue government in 3 years.

In the meantime, we wait. We wait while politicians hack away at medical services, and access deteriorates.

What if doctors lose their case? Maybe the courts will find in favour of the government?

Perhaps a judge will award an arbitration process, but arbitrators might find that there is absolutely no way to return services back to 2012.

Maybe an arbitrator will reset the game, call a start-over with all the players in their current positions. An arbitrator might say that physicians in the new grad entry program should be grateful with their $100k salary. It was their choice to study medicine. They could have become nurse practitioners, if they wanted.

What happens between suit and settlement?

New grads leave, as they should. Established doctors who can relocate take their chances while there’s still work elsewhere. Retirement beckons others. Meanwhile, government can go on to cut more. No one can stop it.

Government will probably make an offer to settle the suit. Will doctors blink and drop it?

If the government offered a 2% raise with stability for 4 or even six years, would doctors make a deal? Would they give up their basic rights for a bowl of porridge?

Strategic Pause

All professional athletes have talent; the greatest know when to not use it. A simple pause can work better than a trick shot. But an expected pause does nothing. The game goes on with no change in strategy.

Doctors hope the Charter challenge will bring fundamental change in how government deals with physicians. It calls for new rules, an acknowledgement that doctors have the right to be treated fairly, too.

Lawsuits change people. The wait after filing solidifies new character.  Two lawsuits in three years has shown a whole generation of doctors the worst of central planning, of nationalized public service. Very few docs enthuse about working with government these days. It helps younger doctors understand the suspicion older colleagues have long held about government programs.

Doctors have placed their faith in a justice system built on rights and freedoms. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.