Today, Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, issued the following statement:
"It is disappointing that the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) membership did not ratify a historic four-year tentative Physician Services Agreement that would have offered the province's physicians, for the first time, an opportunity to have a seat at the table where decisions are made about spending and the future of our health-care system. The tentative agreement also strengthened the quality, access and sustainability of health care in Ontario, while providing predictable annual increases to the physician services budget.
Although the government respects the outcome of the vote, the result is regrettable and will require all parties to reflect carefully on next steps during the coming weeks.
I want to assure the people and patients of Ontario that their access to physicians and the health care system will not be affected. Similarly, the government's planned investments in priorities such as new and expanded funding for home care and community care, as well as additional funding for continued growth in physician supply will continue to be made.
Going forward, the government will be guided by the need to secure a stable and predictable budget to meet the demands of population growth and an aging society, as well as to ensure fair compensation for all physicians and for family doctors in particular.
Above all, we will protect the quality and sustainability of our health care system for all those who need it today and will need it in the future."