Manitoba to probe Flin Flon MD double-billing allegations

The Manitoba government will investigate allegations of double-billing by doctors at the hospital in Flin Flon, Man.

The allegations were uncovered this week in aCBC News I-Team investigationthat highlighted concerns about patient care and doctors' pay at the Flin Flon General Hospital.

The I-Teamgained access to doctors' schedules, which showed physicians there were frequently working several rolesduring one shift and, in some cases, quadruple-dipping when it came to chargingfees.

• Numerous complaints surface about Flin Flon hospital
• Flin Flon doctors quadruple-dipping on roles, pay

A spokesperson for Health Minister Theresa Oswaldtold CBC News on Thursday that "double-billing is never acceptable" and the province will work with the health authority to look further into the allegations.

Liberal Leader JonGerrardsaid he wants Oswaldto change the way doctors bill for their services so they cannot attachmultiple stipends to their daily pay.

"This is directly in the minister's purview and the minister needs to make sure that this is being done in a way that's appropriate because, of course, if it's not appropriate, it looks bad on doctors and it looks bad on the minister," he said.

Hospital review underway

The I-Team also spoke to patients who said they were misdiagnosed and ignored at the northwestern Manitoba hospital's emergency room.

Officials with the Northern Regional Health Authority say they hope a current review of the hospital will lead to change.

But Progressive Conservative health critic Cameron Friesen noted that the NDP government reviewed the same hospital recently, with a report released in May 2011.

"Of what value will yet another review of the system be to the community when we already have recommendations coming from 2011 to address exactly these types of issues in the Flin Flon area?" Friesen said Wednesday.

Prior recommendations implemented

Some changes are already underway to address public concerns at theFlinFlonGeneral Hospital. For example, doctors will no longer be allowed to work 24-hour shifts there.

The 2011 review of the Flin Flon hospital came with 44 recommendations, which the health authority and the provincial government say have largely been implemented.

The review referred to the need for a specific review of the hospital's emergency room, which is what's happening now, Oswald told CBC News in an email Wednesday.

Oswald said the ER review would "take into account the professional working environment and concerns regarding care brought forth by members of the community."

With regards to specific concerns regarding care, Oswald said the health authority has been asked to look into those cases if they haven't been investigated already.