In the spring of 2018, Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) representatives attended more than 40 meetings with groups of physicians in communities across the province. At each meeting, they asked physicians to share what they thought were the most important issues to be negotiated in the next Master Agreement to better support physicians and patients in Nova Scotia. At the same time, DNS representatives met with the C/AFP departments and academic fee-for-service divisions, to hear their input on negotiations priorities.
In addition to the meetings, DNS also invited each of the 2,414 physicians practising in Nova Scotia to complete the survey between May 15 and June 1. A total of 812 physicians, or 34% of practising members, responded to our questions about their priorities in the upcoming negotiations, and how they would like DNS to approach contract discussions with the government.
Doctors Nova Scotia staff analyzed the survey answers and the input gathered at community meetings, and summarized the highlights in We Asked, You Answered: Doctors Nova Scotia Members’ Negotiation Priorities.
Download the report
Members’ Advisory Forums
The Master Agreement and C/AFP Members’ Advisory Forums will provide advice and guidance to the Board of Directors and the negotiations teams before and during negotiations.
Roles and responsibilities
Reporting to the Board of Directors and the negotiations teams, the Members’ Advisory Forums will:
- provide advice to the Board of Directors and the negotiations teams as they build the association’s contract proposals;
- provide advice to the Board of Directors and the negotiations teams about what types of initiatives and what type of overall “package” are likely to be ratified by the membership; and
- serve as ambassadors for the negotiated agreements once they are out for ratification, since they will have been part of the process and have closely followed the negotiations discussions.
Forum members approved
Sixty highly qualified physicians from across Nova Scotia answered the association’s call for expressions of interest for the Master Agreement and C/AFP Members’ Advisory Forums. The applications were carefully reviewed; the Board of Directors approved the list of physicians who will serve on the Master Agreement Members’ Advisory Forum and the Committee of C/AFP Department Heads approved the list of physicians who will serve on the C/AFP Members’ Advisory Forum.
Master Agreement Members’ Advisory Forum
The Master Agreement Members’ Advisory Forum is comprised of 16 physicians. The group is divided evenly between GPs and specialists, with good representation from new-to-practice and later-in-practice physicians, broad geographic reach, good gender diversity, and a combination of fee-for-service (FFS), alternative payment plan (APP), CEC and hourly payment models.
The new members of the Master Agreement Members’ Advisory Forum are: