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A group of doctors accuses the Ontario Medical Association of "complete surrender" in its negotiations with the government on a new fee agreement, and warns the deal will have a devastating impact on patient care.
The advocacy group "Concerned Ontario Doctors," which says it represents thousands of physicians, is worried the deal the OMA signed July 11 will lead to longer waiting lists while more operating rooms sit idle.
Dr. David Jacobs, a radiologist and chair of diagnostic imaging for the OMA, says the association's council wanted binding arbitration to settle what he calls the "war" between doctors and the Liberal government.
But Jacobs claims OMA negotiators dropped the arbitration demand in backroom talks in order to reach a deal with the Ministry of Health and he says it will send wait times for surgeries and diagnostic procedures "through the roof."
Dr. Kulvinder Gill, an immunologist, is urging doctors to reject the tentative four-year deal, which would will increase the $11.5-billion physician services budget by 2.5 per cent a year, to $12.9 billion by 2020.
But Gill is concerned the OMA council could overrule any vote by doctors rejecting the deal and ratify it anyway.