The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association and the College of Family Physicians are not taking kindly to what they call “repeated inaccurate statements” made by the province’s Health Minister.

Specifically, they’re referencing comments made by Minister John Haggie on VOCM Open Line last week where he indicated that no physicians have left a practice to take on a new position at a collaborative care clinic, and that they are all “new to the system.”

According to a joint news release, the two organizations say that statement “is simply not true.”

They say they know of several physicians who have been hired by the clinics and are not allowed to take existing patients with them.

NLMA President Susan MacDonald wouldn’t get into specifics, but does say the number is “fairly substantial.”

The NLMA and the College acknowledge that physicians will move around the healthcare system to pursue interesting work and a good work/life balance, but they say it was wrong of the minister to say the clinics are not hiring physicians away from their practices.

MacDonald says the main issue is that new physicians are not coming in.

She says increasing the numbers is what’s really needed, instead of moving pieces around on a chessboard and saying everything’s great.