Doctors Manitoba seeks to eliminate sick notes requirement

Doctors Manitoba is advocating for the removal of sick notes required for short-term absences from work or school. They argue that these notes create unnecessary paperwork, taking time away from patient care. Currently, physicians in Manitoba write over 600,000 sick notes annually, consuming more than 36,000 hours. This administrative burden contributes to physician burnout, especially in a province facing a shortage of family doctors. Manitoba and Alberta are the only provinces not addressing this issue. Eliminating sick notes could potentially free up 300,000 patient visits, equivalent to adding over 50 doctors to the healthcare system.