2026-01-08 from cma.ca
Health care in Canada is at a crossroads. With 5.9 million Canadians lacking a primary care provider and many more waiting far too long to receive care, governments responded in 2025 with an assortment of potential solutions to improve working conditions for health providers and improve access to care.
Welcome changes include British Columbia and Manitoba reducing paperwork for doctors and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia leaning into team-based care clinics. These are sound ideas that come directly from the recommendations of doctors, nurses and other health providers.
On the other hand, Quebec considered imposing changes to how doctors are paid, complete with strict penalties to ensure compliance. This top-down demand flew in the face of good faith negotiations and led to many doctors considering working in other provinces. Thankfully, the government responded to the outcry from physicians and patients, dropping their demands and adopting a collaborative approach.
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