Every week it seems we hear of
some new scheme to download care from specialists to
family physicians. The latest is Quebec's mental health
reform plan (see "Doctors
object to latest QC mental health reform") which
would see GPs take over the care of stable mental health
patients and assess all new cases. Psychiatrists would
see only those cases their GP colleagues deemed the
most serious.
Not surprisingly, neither group
of physicians is happy with the plan. GPs simply don't
have the time to take on these extra duties. Patients
already wait months to see their family doc for anything
these days. This plan would only increase wait times
for everyone. Those who work with the mentally ill worry
the changes will only cause confusion and that compliance
will suffer.
The real problem is Quebec's severe
doctor shortage, and it won't be fixed by shuffling
physicians about. The government should know by now
that when leaders stop up their ears against the advice
of experts in the trenches, the inevitable will follow:
sick patients will get sicker. The question is, with
more and more MDs fleeing Quebec's poor work conditions,
who will be there to clean up the mess? — Gillian
Woodford, Editor
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