In a major development, more than 260 doctors from Quebec have applied for licenses to work in Ontario. This surge happened in the weeks after the government passed the controversial Bill 2, signalling a major doctor migration that could affect healthcare in both provinces.
Bill 2 links doctors’ salaries to government-set patient targets. It also imposes heavy fines on doctors who protest the province’s health policies. Many doctors argue the law is unfair and blames them for deeper system problems.
Ontario’s medical regulator, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario reports 263 applications from Quebec in just over two weeks. In the four months before that, it recorded only 19. The regulator has already approved 35 doctors to work in Ontario. More than half are family doctors. The rest include anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and other specialists.
Doctors leaving Quebec say the new law pushed them over the edge. Dr. Trevor Hennessey, an anesthesiologist who recently resigned, calls the law “draconian.” He says the government demands higher patient numbers but does not provide enough beds, nurses, or support. He also fears the ban on “concerted action” will expose doctors to huge fines even when they share concerns with one another.
Ontario, which struggles with its own shortage of family doctors, is actively recruiting these physicians. Premier Doug Ford even launched a hotline to help Quebec doctors start practising quickly. But the head of the Ontario Medical Association warns that Ontario must protect both provinces’ patients and avoid destabilizing Quebec’s system.
Quebec Premier François Legault refuses to reverse the legislation. His government argues the law will improve access to family doctors. Still, thousands of health-care workers marched in Montreal to oppose the changes, and several doctor groups have taken the law to court. The situation continues to escalate as Quebec risks losing many of its physicians.
