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Réseau FADOQ welcomes changes proposed by the Québec government’s plan to reform the health care system. However, this plan must lead to concrete actions now.

“For now, we’ll wait and see. But this is not a marathon, it’s a sprint. The action plan must be implemented quickly so that people see a difference on the ground,” explains Danis Prud’homme, Executive Director of Réseau FADOQ.

Réseau FADOQ is naturally in favour of a massive shift towards home care. As a society, we have much to gain by looking at what is being done elsewhere and evaluating the effectiveness of our home care model, as the Health and Welfare Commissioner will do as part of her mandate.

However, her final report will not be filed until December 2023. In the meantime, many people are on a waiting list for home care and that list will grow. Between now and the tabling of the report, the government must take action to increase supply.

Projects that are already working, such as SIADs (intensive home care teams), which free up beds and improve patients’ quality of life, must be encouraged and deployed throughout Quebec.

A more comprehensive approach

Since 2018, Réseau FADOQ has been promoting the shift, starting with the decompartmentalization of the professions. The government has already expanded the procedures that can be performed by various health care professionals, including specialized nurse practitioners (SNPs) and pharmacists. These decisions have improved access to care. However, a more global approach is needed to accelerate this decompartmentalization.

“A forum of all the professional orders working in the health field could be productive. This would allow everyone to put their cards on the table and state their intentions as well as their points of view in relation to the expanding of certain fields of practice,” suggests Mr. Prud’homme.

A firm commitment is needed

The health care system’s goal of becoming an employer of choice is laudable. However, the devil is in the details, as limiting mandatory overtime and the use of private agencies, as well as improving work-life balance, will require considerable effort from the network’s human resources.

The government must be committed to changing the ratio of care professionals to patients so that jobs in the system are attractive and patients get proper care.