The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is calling for the elimination of employer-mandated sick notes for minor illnesses, a move supported by local family physicians like Dr. Jennifer Lush.
Dr. Lush believes that requiring sick notes is not only a hindrance to patient care, but also creates an inequitable system that disproportionately affects those without access to a family doctor.
"It's simply not a medically necessary task," Dr. Lush explains to CFAX 1070's Al Ferraby in Wednesday morning interview. "It takes up valuable doctor time that could be spent on patients with actual medical needs." She notes that while the demand for sick notes has decreased since the pandemic, it remains a significant issue, with 30 per cent of Canadians reporting having requested a note from a physician in the past year.
The issue is further compounded by the ongoing family doctor shortage in Canada. "Those without a family doctor are faced with an incredibly difficult task," Dr. Lush says. "They have to navigate walk-in clinics that are often full by 9 am, spend hours waiting in line or on the phone, or even resort to the emergency room, which is completely inappropriate for a simple sick note."
The CMA and provincial medical organizations are urging both federal and provincial governments to legislate the elimination of sick notes. Dr. Lush highlights the equity concerns, stating, "It's simply not fair to those without a family doctor to have to jump through hoops to get a sick note just to access their sick pay benefits."
Dr. Lush also emphasizes the importance of addressing the family physician shortage. "We need to recruit more medical students and residents into family medicine, expand the efficiency of our current family physicians, and ensure they have the resources to build effective teams and stay in practice," she says. "The future of healthcare in British Columbia and Canada depends on it."
Listen to Dr. Lush's full interview with Al Ferraby: