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There has been an uptick in the number of Quebec doctors applying for licensing in New Brunswick, due to an ongoing dispute with the Quebec government over a controversial bill that changes how they’re paid. According to New Brunswick’s College of Physicians, the number of Quebec doctors seeking to obtain New Brunswick licences was in the low single digits all year. There were three in January, for example, and three in August. In the month of October, it spiked to 34. As an officially bilingual province, New Brunswick has a strong need for French-speaking doctors. “New Brunswick is officially bilingual, and having a doctor who speaks your native tongue is always helpful, so New Brunswick could be appealing to Quebec physicians,” said Dr. Margot Burnell, president of the Canadian Medical Association, and a practicing oncologist in New Brunswick. The Quebec government’s tense relationship with that province’s doctors became even more strained when it passed Bill 2 over the weekend. Under the new law, a portion of doctors’ compensation will now be linked to performance targets relating to the number of patients, particularly vulnerable ones, they care for. It was passed just before 4 a.m. Saturday, after Premier François Legault called a special session to rush through the bill, which imposes fines of up to $500,000 per day on doctors who take “concerted action” to challenge the government’s policies. Over the fall, federations representing family doctors and medical specialists had used pressure tactics to oppose the proposed remuneration system, such as refusing to teach medical students. Doctors say the bill amounts to a pay cut. “With such a very significant pay cut, doctors will look to go elsewhere they’ll want to go elsewhere,” said Dr. Jean-Joseph Condé, a family doctor based in Val d’Or, Que. “There’s a shortage of physicians everywhere in Canada so it will not be hard for a doctor in Quebec to find a job elsewhere.” Condé says he’s noticed physicians near the Quebec-Ontario border are leaving to practice in Ottawa as a result. New Brunswick is hoping more doctors will choose to do the same in this province. “We will be monitoring the adopted legislation in Quebec and any potential impacts on our province,” New Brunswick Health Minister Dr. John Dornan said in an e-mailed statement. “We are working continuously with the regional health authorities and our other recruitment partners and stakeholders to bolster the province’s physician ranks.” A spokesperson for Vitalité Health Network told Global News they have an advertising campaign underway in Quebec in preparation for the Francophone Physicians of Canada conference taking place this week in Montreal. Burnell says the gains could be a game-changer for New Brunswick, which is struggling to recruit and retain physicians. A quarter of the province’s population was without a primary care provider in 2024, according to the most recent available data from the New Brunswick Health Council. “That would be critically important and would be very much appreciated by New Brunswick. We don’t want to poach from other provinces but will not turn down an opportunity,” Burnell said. — with a file from The Canadian Press
