The New Brunswick Medical Society says uncertainty over fee payments for doctors could make it hard for the province to recruit more physicians.

'We're asking them to look at the difficulties that government is under.'— Health Minister Michael Murphy

Fee-for-service doctors who bill medicare signed a new deal with the province last December, but five months later, the cabinet has yet to implement it.

Dr. Ludger Blier, president of the medical society, said he's concerned over the impact the prolonged delay in implementing the new contract will have on recruitment efforts.

"Usually negative adjustments have negative impacts on recruitment, and incentives have positive impacts on recruitment and retention," Blier said.

Blier and the province's physicians, however, may have to be concerned about more than just their contract not being implemented.

Now Health Minister Michael Murphy is suggesting that doctors may have to share a bit of budgetary pain facing other professionals paid by the province.

The provincial government has made cuts to a variety of programs, and Murphy hinted on Friday that doctor billings should not be any different.

"We're asking them to look at the difficulties that government is under," Murphy said.

"We have some priorities. We have to keep hospitals open, and keep programs going."

PCs say doctors to lose binding arbitration

Meanwhile, the Opposition Progressive Conservatives say they are hearing the province may pass a law to eliminate the society's right to binding arbitration when there's no deal on fees.

Margaret-Ann Blaney, the Opposition health critic, said if the province takes away binding arbitration, that also would also hurt recruitment.

"There's already a perception that we're not physician-friendly. You do something like this, and you're going to wipe out any hope at all," Blaney said.

Murphy didn't deny Blaney's suggestion on Friday, saying only that she is wrong about the things she hears "most of the time."