On behalf of the OMA Board of Directors, I am pleased to report that members have decisively ratified a new three-year Physician Services Agreement between the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Overall, 71.82 per cent of members voted in favour of the agreement, with a total participation rate of 27.97 per cent of eligible voters. This marks the first time members have had a binding vote on a PSA, and I want to thank all members who cast their ballots. Complete details of the vote will be made available on the OMA website later this week.
Thank you also to those who attended yesterday’s virtual Special Meeting of Members, which provided a final opportunity for colleagues to ask questions about the PSA with the Negotiations Task Force, Board of Directors, and staff in attendance together.
With today’s outcome, we will now focus our attention on delivering the benefits of this agreement to our members. The OMA and the Ministry of Health are committed to moving forward expeditiously to begin implementing all aspects of the agreement.
The OMA will be meeting with the ministry this week on implementation, including the April 1, 2022 compensation increases to doctors, and other immediate priorities such as the establishment of the new Physician Payment Committee.
The board thanks the NTF and supporting staff for their dedication and hard work over the course of more than two years of difficult bargaining and mediation, in addition to the successful negotiation of several COVID-19 funding agreements and compensation models for the profession.
In the weeks ahead, we will be sharing more details about the implementation process, workplans and timelines. Please watch for board chair emails and OMA News updates. I would like to remind members that there is extensive information about payment timelines and other components of the PSA on the OMA website. Read the 2021 PSA payment timelines.
Thank you once again to all of you who came out to the townhalls, visited the PPSA webpages, came forward with your questions, and sought out colleagues and opinions before deciding how to cast your ballot.
Please contact info@oma.org with any questions and we will respond as quickly as possible.
