Doctors in Manitoba Face Administrative Burden Equivalent to 326 More Physicians

In Manitoba, a new report reveals that the extensive administrative workload on physicians prevents the equivalent of 326 additional doctors from providing patient care. The study, conducted by the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), highlights the significant impact of red tape on healthcare delivery in the province.

Physicians in Manitoba, numbering over 3,000, dedicate an average of 9.7 hours each week to administrative tasks, totaling approximately 667,000 hours annually. Although this figure marks a slight decrease from the 10.1 hours recorded in 2023, it remains above the national average of 9.1 hours. Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba, emphasized that alleviating this burden is crucial, especially as the province currently has 246 fewer doctors per capita than the national average.

“Excessive paperwork and unnecessary administrative tasks continue to impact care by pulling doctors away from seeing more patients,” said Dr. Desilets. “Reducing red tape won’t eliminate our physician shortage, but it is vital for improving access to care and retaining the physicians we have worked hard to recruit.”

The report indicates that across Canada, physicians spend a staggering 20 million hours annually on what are deemed unnecessary paperwork and administrative duties, equating to the workload of approximately 9,000 full-time doctors. Following a 2023 CFIB report, which highlighted the burden of administrative tasks on doctors, Manitoba’s previous government established a joint task force. This group identified that physicians believed 44 percent of their administrative work was unnecessary.

A year later, the CFIB acknowledged the province’s commitment to reducing this burden by recommending a 10 percent reduction in unnecessary paperwork. The current government, led by the NDP, is looking into new legislation aimed at streamlining processes, including the potential elimination of sick notes. Currently, Manitoba doctors issue around 600,000 medical notes annually.

Dr. Desilets pointed out that physicians frequently face challenges in making specialist referrals and ordering diagnostic tests due to the complexities of administrative forms. She advocated for simplifying government, insurance, and employer medical forms, as well as adopting electronic records and artificial intelligence to assist in completing patient charts.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated that the government is actively addressing the recommendations made by doctors. “We’re actually working on every single one of them,” Asagwara remarked. “We have made real progress on the list. We know there’s much more work to do, but we are focused on making it easier for doctors to practice in this province.”

The CFIB’s director of legislative affairs, Brianna Solberg, commended Manitoba for reducing over 75,000 hours of doctors’ paperwork but underscored that further improvements are necessary. “That work has certainly made a difference, but the report shows much more work needs to be done,” Solberg noted.

According to Keir Johnson, a spokesperson for Doctors Manitoba, cutting unnecessary administrative work could save each doctor one or more hours daily. He explained, “This is, unfortunately, time patients and the public don’t often see… but it is work that leads to burnout and ultimately means that patients end up waiting longer to get care. That’s really why it matters to Manitobans.”

As the province grapples with these administrative challenges, the call for reform remains urgent, aiming to enhance healthcare access for all Manitobans.