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Family doctors in the province aren't happy with the $214 billion Ontario budget released Tuesday,
"It's another swing and a miss, with no relief for family doctors," says Dr. David Barber, Chair of the Section on General and Family Practice of the Ontario Medical Association.
See: Ontario budget projects $9.8B deficit, real-dollar social services cuts
In a news release, Barber says Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy sympathized with the struggle small businesses face due to inflationary pressures, increased interest rates and rising costs, yet, fails to acknowledge that a family doctor’s practice is also a small business.
“It’s almost laughable at this point; for months, we’ve repeatedly brought up the crisis faced by family doctors; just like small businesses, they struggle to keep their lights on, deal with the same inflationary pressures, and yet, this funding does nothing to help family doctors stay in their practice,” says Barber.
See: The northern family physician, a rare and fantastic breed
“Family doctors know best about what will reduce the overwhelming burnout suffered by our section, and we need to be brought to the table to offer real solutions. This budget is entirely silent about our increased overhead costs and administrative burdens.”
See: Doctor burnout a 'huge problem locally' says physician
The release adds that while any funding that helps connect patients with family doctors can be viewed as a step in the right direction, yesterday’s budget highlights the government’s "inept understanding" of the situation facing family medicine, and its inability to provide a solution that will make a lasting difference.
"Decades of underinvestment have led to declines in family medicine, with the 2.3 million Ontarians currently without a family doctor suffering the most. This number is expected to almost double to 4.4 million, by 2026, due to a rising population and a dwindling workforce. More doctors are retiring, fewer medical students are choosing to practice family medicine, and doctors are questioning the financial viability of their practices, opting to close rather than continue in an unsustainable environment. This budget means that many millions of people will still remain without a family doctor."
See: New doctors don’t want to pursue family medicine in Ontario say physicians
“Until we begin to address the root of the issues facing family medicine, we will continue to lose our family doctors, fail to recruit new ones, and the government funding will continue being a band-aid solution,” says Dr. Barber. “It’s time to rip off the band-aid and work together to properly address the dismal state of family medicine in this province.”
