Members of the Medical Association have voted in favour of a new collective agreement with the provincial government that includes increased spending for physician recruitment and retention and changes to payment models for doctors and specialists.

The new deal was ratified with 72.5 per cent of members voting in favour.  NLMA President Dr. Susan MacDonald says significant progress has been made in the latest agreement.

The deal includes what the Medical Association says are compensation rates that are competitive with the Maritime provinces, something it says will aid in the recruitment and retention of family physicians and specialists.

It includes between $32 and $36 million dollars in new spending for physician services, an increase of between 7 and 8 per cent of the value of the province’s physician service budget.

Another major development is an agreement to establish a new blended capitation payment model for family physicians which will exist alongside salaried and fee-for-service payment models.

The agreement runs through to the end of September 2023.