That alone should be comment enough on the level of frustration felt in the East. But it's not. Provincial Health Minister Dr. Dennis Furlong, himself a small-town GP until a year or so ago, knows family practice working conditions are troublesome. Still, he says the province simply doesn't have the money to make the fee schedule competitive. Further, there's no chance of substantial increases in medical manpower anytime soon.
Doctors everywhere feel overworked and underpaid.
It should also be noted that New Brunswick's campaign is being watched closely across Atlantic Canada. At this point, many think there's a real risk the GP job action will escalate. In the meantime, family doctors begin a boycott of government-mandated special authorization forms for prescriptions Oct. 2. When asked if he takes the GP action seriously, Dr. Furlong didn't hesitate to say he does. When asked if he thinks the situation might escalate, he said it depends on how ongoing negotiations go toward a new contract.