The British Columbia government and the province's doctors have agreed on a four-year extension of the labour deal between the two sides.
A joint statement by the B.C. Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC says voting by more than 4,000 doctors on the deal ended Thursday at midnight with almost 92 per cent supporting the deal.
The wording of the deal known as the Physician Main Agreement has not been released but the province says it ensures doctors are available during a time of rising patient demand.
It says some of the agreement's highlights include more funding for family doctors in rural and remote communities, as well as a dedicated contract rate featuring a significant compensation increase for those providing maternity care.
Compensation will also increase for on-call doctors, with a new premium added for elective surgeries on weekends, evenings and holidays.
The province also says the deal provides more than $1 billion in support for doctors and patient care over its four-year span, with $100 million dedicated to addressing contracted doctors' workload increases.
Health Minister Josie Osborne says in a statement that the deal underscores both sides' common goal of providing better care.
Doctors of BC president Dr. Adam Thompson says physicians remain committed to make sure the province's health care system is "adaptive and responsive" to patients' needs.
"Our health care system is under enormous strain, and this agreement will help support doctors in delivering the best possible care," Thompson says.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
