The reorganization of the health network is on course: The Minister of Health presented his comprehensive reform on Wednesday, which aims to make the health network more efficient. For this, Christian Dubé stands in the way of the unions and medical specialists, which indicates hectic negotiations.
• Also read: Reform in the health network: concerns and resistance
But the minister says the status quo is not acceptable to justify the need to pass his roughly 300-page bill. “Who is it right now that doesn’t have the service? It is the patient,” says Mr. Dubé. Here are the seven main areas of reform:
More duties for medical specialists
The confrontation with specialists promises to be difficult. Quebec wants to hunt down those who aren’t doing enough by imposing a “responsible population.”
From now on, specialists can also work outside of the hospital, e.g. B. in a private clinic, working hours or certain medical acts considered necessary.
Her association is already condemning the minister’s actions, but he assures us that the principle will remain in the law. Details are negotiated. “Depending on the reaction we will have, we will have small or long discussions with the specialists,” Minister Dubé said defiantly.
No more union barriers
For example, a Montérégie nurse who wants to move to the North Shore no longer loses seniority. So far, such a change of region would have pushed them to the bottom of the list when it came to choosing duties and holidays.
In other words, seniority is now recognized across the network. “Carers have been asking for this for years,” says Mr. Dubé.
This also means that the 136 union accreditations will be reduced to just 4.
- Listen to the interview with Robert Comeau, President of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services, on QUB radio:
an employer
With the creation of Santé Québec, the Legault government aims to bring day-to-day administration under a single agency separate from the ministry, similar to Hydro-Québec.
This will be the sole employer for the workers in the network currently covered by CISSS and CIUSSS depending on the area.
Christian Dubé is inspired by the experience of the pandemic, which gave him extraordinary powers. “I think we were much more effective when we had, for example, the coordination of all the CISSSs and CIUSSSs on the island of Montreal,” he explains.
To form Santé Québec, 30% to 40% of the Ministry of Health’s 1,200 employees will need to migrate to the new agency. But we assure you that these mutations are voluntary.
One boss per company
Quebec is reviewing the hierarchy so each facility (hospitals, CHSLDs, CLSCs, etc.) now has an accountable manager who is accountable to the Chief of Health Quebec.
It may come as a surprise, but some hospitals currently have no on-site boss. Rather, they report to their local CISSS or CIUSSS far from the field.
The 1600 systems will have a responsible manager on site in the future. They report to the 30 regional CEOs, who in turn must report to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Santé Québec.
Complaints Officer
The concept of customer experience is gaining ground in the healthcare network. As recently announced, Quebec wants to measure user satisfaction.
A national complaints officer will also oversee the existing bodies to ensure complaints are dealt with in a consistent manner across the network.
Public placement agency
Quebec wants to set up its own public recruitment agency after announcing the gradual phasing out of their private versions, deemed too expensive.
By creating a single employer, the bill will allow nurses to move from one region to another with ease. But again, Minister Dubé has to negotiate with the unions to allow for a differentiated salary to attract those who might be tempted to come and help a region in trouble.
Make family medicine more attractive
On the fringes of the draft law, Minister Dubé announced that there would soon be changes in the allocation of vacancies for new general practitioners. Currently, compulsory work in certain regions inhibits the recruitment of general medicine students.
Christian Dubé is currently negotiating with the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec and the Federation of Resident Physicians of Quebec and will announce changes shortly.
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