The bill aimed at making the health network more efficient has aroused discontent among health unions. Minister Christian Dubé is accused of a lack of “serious negotiations” and of not “addressing the real fundamental problems”.
“The general absence of listening and discussions has repercussions on an entire working climate to the detriment of the needs of patients,” said in a press release the Dr Vincent Oliva, president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ). The federation denounces the lack of discussions and “serious negotiations” before the tabling of the bill and “the confrontational attitude of the MSSS”.
In this reform, Quebec will, among other things, merge the union seniority of employees across the province, put an end to regional boards of directors and appoint general managers in all large establishments. The Legault government also intends to force medical specialists to take more care of patients throughout the territory. They will also have to offer better availability in emergencies and accept unfavorable hours, especially following 4 p.m.
“It is deeply unacceptable to suggest that medical specialists are no longer present in hospitals following 4 p.m. Throughout Quebec, medical specialists are mobilized to provide 24-hour call duty to take care of their patients. To imply the contrary demonstrates a great ignorance of our work and our daily life,” said Dr.r Vincent Olive.
Measure the impact on staff
For its part, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) is wondering regarding the impact of this reform on the staff. “What is this project going to have as a positive impact for all healthcare professionals in the public healthcare network? Because right now I don’t see it,” he told The Press Julie Bouchard. The president of the FIQ is worried regarding the “stability of the teams” and the “feeling of belonging of the healthcare professionals”.
The Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, for its part, is in favor of the new state corporation, Santé Québec. “We still campaigned in favor of depoliticizing the health network, so we cannot disagree with that”, supports the president, the Dr Marc-Andre Amyot. He notes, however, that some “things” in the bill are “concerning”, but says he is ready to continue to work with the government.
Eventually, network employees will have a single employer, Santé Québec, rather than the 34 local employers. “Despite what the Minister says, we are witnessing a greater centralization of the network. It is not because we are shifting the focus from the ministry to an agency that we are decentralizing”, denounces the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville.
The government will also put an end to the regional boards of directors and will appoint general managers in all the large establishments who will report directly to the new crown corporation, Santé Québec. “At first glance, we still seem to be shuffling structures and playing with organizational charts, without necessarily tackling the real fundamental problems,” said Luc Beauregard, secretary-treasurer of the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ). .
“The perfect recipe to make the situation worse”
The Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS) “firmly” denounced the bill, due to the “lack of consultation” of employees before it was tabled. “Governments have been repeating the same mistakes for decades. Centralizing more and more and consulting less is the perfect recipe for making the situation worse,” said Robert Comeau, president of the APTS, in a press release.
The APTS wants to make the health network more efficient, but is concerned regarding the effects of merging the seniority lists. “Inevitably, this proposal will create instability in work teams, as well as tensions between colleagues,” he says.
For its part, the Federation of Resident Physicians of Quebec (FMRQ) said it was in favor of improving access to physicians of all specialties. ” […] We cannot accept that Minister Dubé is trying to resolve the issues of access to health care and services in the regions of Quebec on the back of the next generation of medical professionals,” however declared in writing the president of the FMRQ, the Dre Jessica Ruel-Laliberte.
