Multi-section statement on OMA tentative agreement

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association Sections on, Cardiology, Diagnostic Imaging, Gastroenterology, Nuclear Medicine, and Ophthalmology call upon the OMA to postpone the ratification of the tentative agreement between Ontario doctors and the MOHLTC.

These Sections held a meeting this week to discuss the tentative agreement and agreed there was widespread concern that an insufficient amount of time and information was available to all Ontario doctors to make an informed decision about the tentative agreement.  The meeting concluded that the following principles remained unsatisfied and are of concern to all Ontario doctors and in turn for their patients:

1. Most physicians have not seen the written agreement, which was released only late yesterday.  The delayed release does not make it reasonable to expect Sections to make any reliable recommendations to the thousands of doctors the Sections represent.
2. The preliminary economic analysis prepared by the OMA staff requires additional information to allow physicians to have a full understanding of the impact the proposed offer will have on the delivery of medical services and on both physicians and their patients.
3. There is significant concern that the full impact of the tentative agreement on Ontario doctors and their patients has not been disclosed.  We have learned from the OMA that other decisions will be made after the ratification process is completed.  This will ultimately lead to a reduction in access and quality of care not specifically mentioned in the tentative deal.  Ontario physicians are calling upon the OMA and Ministry to provide full transparency to identify all of the targeted patient care services, what changes are likely to occur, and how these will impact the delivery of and access to patient care.
4. The current schedule to ratify the agreement does not permit enough time for Ontario doctors to carefully assess the impact of the tentative agreement on their practice or area of medicine, to obtain independent advice, to consult with their respective Section members, and to raise important issues and questions for clarification.
5. The Sections respectfully request that the ratification vote and special meeting of OMA Council to review the ratification results be deferred to January 12, 2013 and that the Ontario government respect Ontario physicians' need to make a fully informed decision.
6. Ontario doctors understand Ontario's economic difficulties and are committed to working with the government to identify and realise areas of savings that do not compromise patient care but underline that meaningful change can only occur through constructive dialogue with physician leaders.
7. Calling on the OMA to modernise its internal approval processes concerning the acceptance of negotiated agreements, an improved and more timely communication of all pertinent information to its membership, and a formal process that ensures a reasonable timeframe for thoughtful discussion and deliberation before a ratification vote.

The Section representatives are calling upon all Ontario physicians to support these principles and to communicate their concern to the OMA and to ask the OMA for a full discussion of these principles at this weekend's OMA Council meeting.

SOURCE: Ontario Association of Radiologists

Dr. William Hughes, OMA Section on Cardiology
Dr. David Jacob, OMA Section on Diagnostic Imaging
Dr. David Baran, OMA Section on Gastroenterology
Dr. Chris Marriott, OMA Section on Nuclear Medicine
Dr. Navdeep Nijhawan, OMA Section on Ophthalmology