The Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island is raising serious concerns following the release of a survey commissioned by the PEI College of Family Physicians, which found that 77 per cent of respondents believe the government’s new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will drive family doctors out of the province.

The survey results underscore growing frustration among family doctors and point to a failure by the Conservative government to understand the role, scope, and realities of family medicine on Prince Edward Island. Despite clear warnings about risks to patient care and physician retention, the government pushed ahead with this new agreement without any meaningful consultation.

In December 2025, the Conservative government announced the MOA along with the Medical Society of PEI, Health PEI, and the Department of Health and Wellness, presenting it as a positive step forward. However, survey results shared with members of the PEI College of Family Physicians tell a different story. Ninety-five per cent of respondents say Health PEI and the Department of Health and Wellness do not understand the realities of running a family practice today.

“Time and time again, Islanders tell us they’re not getting the care they need and expect their government to do better,” said Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell. “Instead of listening, the Conservatives have relied on top-down decision-making that ignores what’s happening on the ground. Family physicians and front-line health-care workers are being forced to carry the burden of a system where leadership at Health PEI simply does not understand day-to-day realities.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• 77% of respondents believe the current MOA will drive family doctors away from PEI
• Many physicians are considering changes that would significantly reduce patient access to care and negatively affect medical education, including shrinking patient panels, as result of the current MOA
• Nearly all respondents say Health PEI does not understand their clinical practice or broader responsibilities

“It’s clear this MOU was not developed through meaningful consultation, and the survey results make that clear,” said Gord McNeilly, Liberal Health Critic and MLA for Charlottetown–West Royalty. “They show a significant disconnect between what family physicians are experiencing and what Health PEI and the Conservative government believe is happening.”

The Liberal Party is joining the PEI College of Family Physicians in calling on the government to extend the January 31 deadline for physicians to sign the agreement, allowing time for questions, reflection, and informed decision-making.

“Announcing in mid-December that family doctors must sign by January 31 does not provide a fair or reasonable amount of time to fully review the agreement,” said Mitchell. “Extending the deadline would show the government is serious about collaboration and would ultimately lead to better care for Islanders by allowing doctors to make decisions that are in the best interests of their patients and their practice.”

Other recommendations that should be responded to by government include:

• Revise the Physician Snapshots (physician information, FTE information, current panel size)
• Commit to revising FTE calculations FTE calculations & Service Encounter Ratios to recognize teaching as an addition to LFM workload before the next intake of Medical Students
• Eliminate, reduce and streamline additional administrative burden associated with implementation of the MOA

The Liberal Party is also calling on the government to publicly respond to the survey findings and its full set of recommendations within seven days, so family doctors and Islanders can hear directly from decision-makers before the January 31 deadline.