Health Minister Jim Reiter and Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) President Dr. Barb Konstantynowicz were pleased to announce that Saskatchewan physicians have ratified a new five-year contract. More than 90 per cent of physicians who cast ballots, voted in favour of the agreement.
“We are very pleased to have a new contract with our valued physicians, to help support patient care and continue to make Saskatchewan a preferred location to practice,” Reiter said. “This positive step will maintain one of the most competitive remuneration and benefits package for physicians in Canada, in order to recruit and retain physicians in our province. It will help ensure that Saskatchewan residents are able to access vital physician services, not only during the current pandemic but into the future.”
“Like my colleagues on the SMA Board of Directors, I am pleased that the physicians of Saskatchewan have ratified this agreement,” Dr. Konstantynowicz said. “This will continue to benefit the practice of medicine and the province’s health system for years to come. I would like to thank the negotiating committee of the SMA, and Ministry of Health representatives, who put in countless hours of work on behalf of Saskatchewan’s physicians to reach this deal. With the agreement now in place, physicians can work with a degree of certainty during these uncertain times created by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Highlights of the new contract include:
• Continuing to provide for virtual care, following positive feedback from citizens.
• An overall average increase of one per cent annually over the five years from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2022.
• Development of innovative primary care compensation models that align with the province’s Connected Care Strategy and that support family physicians in advancing their vision for a Patient’s Medical Home.
