Waiting lists for colonoscopies and other procedures under anesthetic at out-of-hospital facilities like Toronto’s Kensington Screening Clinic are growing as doctors resign to protest a new $825 fee levied on them.

Almost 1,300 doctors across the province have received bills from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the self-regulatory body for MDs, which is using the cash to help fund inspections of the clinics.

At the Kensington clinic on College St., 11 anesthetists and five endoscopists who work part-time have quit, saying the fee that took effect Oct. 1 is an “extra burden that is too much to absorb,” said chief executive Brian McFarlane.

As many as 20 per cent of colonoscopy appointments have been cancelled in the last few days.

“We’re trying to cover it off with the ones that are staying but it’s challenging,” McFarlane added.