At a press conference Thursday morning, Health Minister Eric Hoskins publicly called on the president of Ontario's doctor association to clarify her position on whether or not she would support doctors withdrawing patients' access to the health-care system in protest of his government — and clarify she has.

"As doctors, we are and always will be concerned first and foremost for our patients," Ontario Medical Association (OMA) president Virginia Walley said in a statement, issued in response to Hoskins's challenge.

"No doctor in this province wants to be forced into the position where they have to consider withdrawal of services. But, in the face of the government’s repeated unilateral actions against the profession, and its refusal to agree to a fair and independent arbitration process, what choice do we have?"

"We want to be recognized as providing an essential service – and, all other groups that provide essential health-care services settle their disputes through a fair and independent process of binding arbitration," the statement continued. "Moreover, if anyone is endangering access to care for patients, it is the government’s underfunding of necessary medical services and its refusal to recognize the critical role of physicians as the government’s partner in improving the health-care system."

Hoskins, speaking at a press conference at Queen's Park on mental health in corrections, had been asked about the government's deteriorating relationship with doctors. Hoskins defended the proposal on doctor compensation he'd released the day before. He argued that the proposal included $186 million over three years, specifically targeted at increasing Ontarians' access to their family doctors, particularly on evenings and weekends.

Walley had responded to that proposal — given to her organization only an hour before Hoskins introduced it to the public with a press conference — by saying she was shocked and disappointed. She said "all options are now on the table" for doctors in resisting the government's unilateral action.

At the Thursday morning press conference, Hoskins called on her to clarify what she means.

"I find it worrisome, because they've threatened job action and in the course of the last 24 hours, they have not, in any way, shape or form, made any statement that comes close to refuting the threat of job action," he said.

“I think it’s incumbent up on the president to demonstrate the courage and leadership for patients in this province and make a clear articulation that she does not intend to promote, or advocate for, or permit, any form of job action that would in fact endanger, potentially endanger Ontarians, but certainly endanger access to the public health-care system."

In an interview Wednesday afternoon, QP Briefing had asked Walley what those options now on the table are, but she said it was too soon to say.

‘What choice do we have?’ Ontario Medical Association threatens withdrawal of services

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