After-hours physician coverage policy on hold

A policy that would require physicians in Manitoba set up an on-call system for patient calls after hours, on weekends, and during vacations has been placed on hold due to confusion from physicians.

 

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) approved the policy in December 2014 and set it to begin this July. The CPSM announced this week that implementation of the policy has been deferred pending further discussion.

 

When announced, the policy was met with pushback from physicians who worried it would cause undue hardship on physicians who practice alone or in remote areas.