SGFP AGM Recap & Advocacy Update
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to those who were able to attend the SGFP's Annual General Meeting earlier this week. This letter will provide an update for anyone unable to attend.
I opened the meeting by outlining the current crisis in family medicine. The shortage of family doctors in Ontario is alarming, with media reports suggesting that 1 in 4 Ontarians might be without a family doctor by 2026. In response, the SGFP has been actively advocating for family doctors, addressing disparities in compensation across different practice models, and securing funding for the locum program. Our efforts have included the hiring of a communications firm, Berlin. With their help we have raised significant media engagement to ensure public awareness and government accountability on the issue of the family medicine crisis.
Our financial report from Dr. Darija Vujosevic provided an update on our budget, expenditures, and the funding strategies we are implementing to support our advocacy initiatives moving forward. The SGFP plans to use our accumulated reserve funds to truly make a difference for our members. The money you pay in your dues will be directly used to advance the interests of family doctors in Ontario.
The SGFP shared our vision for the future, which includes unifying the voice of all family doctors in Ontario, improving our compensation and working conditions, and ensuring that every Ontarian has access to a family physician. To accomplish this, our strategic plans involve reducing the size of the Board for greater agility, meaningfully engaging members from various regions and practice models, and developing a comprehensive revenue generation plan to further fund our advocacy efforts.
Bill Kreutzweiser, our Executive Director, reiterated the importance of a unified voice for family doctors to strengthen our influence within the province. He highlighted our efforts to improve communication, strategy development, and policy advocacy in order to make a concrete difference in the lives of family doctors. Our voices must not only be heard, but listened to by the government and the public.
During the Q&A session, members raised important concerns regarding earning disparities among different primary care models, the progress of contract negotiations, and the uncertainty around AI scribes and tools. Thank you for speaking to your concerns – we understand we ran out of time to answer all of your questions, so please stay tuned for an upcoming communication where we address those questions in more detail. Please continue to use your voices actively—we encourage participation from all of our members and urge you to respond to surveys, engage in advocacy efforts, and communicate directly with government officials.
In closing, I want to thank you all for your continued dedication and support. Our strength lies in our unity and our commitment to addressing the challenges in family medicine. We will continue to advocate for you, ensuring that your voices are heard and that family physicians achieve the recognition and support they deserve.
Best regards,
Dr. Dave Barber
Chair, Section on General and Family Practice
Tariff Talk for Family Doctors with Dr. Salesh Budhoo
Dr. Salesh Budhoo, our newly appointed Tariff Lead, also presented at the AGM. Showcasing data from the recent survey, he was thrilled with the overwhelming response to the survey, which garnered over 2600 participants and more than 900 responses within the first hour. Your participation reflects the dedication of family physicians despite the challenges you face.
Dr. Budhoo also provided an update on the current and upcoming Physician Services Agreement (PSA). The temporary 2.8% fee increase for the third year, implemented in April 2024, will transition to a permanent increase based on the Physician Payment Committee's (PPC) recommendations to the Physician Services Committee (PSC), adjusted for any Year 3 Hospital on-call coverage (HOCC) funding up to $40 million. The 2024 Year 1 arbitration funding will be incorporated into the 2021 Year 3 PPC funding allocation, with 25% of funds distributed equally across all sections and 75% based on relativity. The details for the Year 1 arbitrated agreement distribution are yet to be determined.
The Tariff Committee will assess the Year 1 arbitration results for Family Physicians and proceed with the outcomes of the Year 2-4 negotiations, which will include targeted funding proposals for Family Medicine. Additionally, the committee aims to conduct research for the 2028 PSA negotiations, seeking input from all SGFP members to shape their priorities. Members are encouraged to apply for the Tariff Committee or focus groups – stay tuned for more information.
In The News
From May 1 to May 28, Dr. David Barber and SGFP were mentioned in the media and on X a total of 388 times. View the SGFP Media Coverage.