Specialists threaten to sue Barrette over Bill 20 quotas

The head of the federation of medical specialists says the group willsue Health Minister Gatan Barretteif he tries to impose surgery quotas withoutensuring operating rooms can meet the demand.

"How can you ask a doctor to work more if the OR is closed? Tell me, how can you do that?" said Diane Francoeur, head of the Fdration des MdecinsSpcialistes du Qubec (FMSQ), in an interview with CBC'sDaybreak.

"He can give us as many quotas as he wants," said Francoeur, "If there's a shortage of nurses, or no beds... Summer is coming and usually [operating rooms] are closed for two to three weeks during the summer."

According to theFMSQ, the number of surgeries increased by a third between 2006 and 2013.

• Quebec family doctors won't have to meet patient quotas
• Download text of Bill 20 here

Barrette madea deal with the Fdration des MdecinsOmnipraticiens du Qubec(FMOQ)to remove patientquotas for family doctors, but the minister has not yet reached an agreement with medical specialists.

Francoeur denies Barrette's claims that specialists are dragging their feet in negotiations.

"Dr. Barrette has his way of doing things and if we don't do it at his pace, he's never happy," she said.

Barrette himself is a former president of theFMSQ.