The plan by several medical specialist groups to break away from the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and negotiate directly with the provincial government may be the right move for specialists but the timing — in the middle of arbitration proceedings for a new contract — couldn’t be worse, according to Dr. Diane Francoeur, president of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ).
“It is a good thing for them to separate like us, and we have offered help for the future. But to do it now during arbitration is the worst possible time,” says Francoeur. She warns that the infighting will hand a huge advantage to the Ontario government during the arbitration hearings. “Divide and rule is a law that has been very successful in history no matter what the topic.” Read more in CMAJ.