(Quebec) The vast reform of Minister Christian Dubé, which essentially affects the governance of the network, will not make it possible to improve care, deplores the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ). Bill 15 opens the door to the private sector and “jeopardizes” the public sector, according to the union.
The union of some 80,000 members argues that Bill 15, which aims to make the health and social services network more efficient, does not contain any measures that will improve care in the field or promote the attraction and retention of nursing staff. “Not at all,” replied the president of the FIQ, Julie Bouchard, questioned by the parliamentarians.
“Surprisingly, the concept of quality of care is not mentioned either in the responsibilities of the ministry, nor in those of Santé Québec,” said Ms.me Bouchard. The FIQ expressed concern about “the centralization of real powers within the Santé Québec agency will likely cause health establishments to lose all autonomy to the benefit of this gigantic new state corporation. »
The Dubé reform should result in the creation of a brand new state corporation, which will focus on the operational side of the Department of Health and Social Services. The Department will retain the role of establishing strategic planning and major orientations. The changes planned by the Minister are essentially made in the governance of the network.
“It is not with a single governance that we are going to create attraction and retention,” argued Ms.me Bouchard. The FIQ is currently negotiating with the Legault government for the renewal of the collective agreements for health personnel.
The reform also provides for Santé Québec to become the sole employer of the health network. Thus, instead of the current 136 negotiation tables with the unions, the law will reduce them to only 4 national tables. Mme Bouchard pleaded the importance of giving local leeway to employers to adapt collective agreements to regional realities.
Minister Christian Dubé mentioned that his government could conclude letters of agreement with establishments by region to “preserve a local flavor”.
The union also fears that the merger of union seniority through the creation of a single employer will “weaken” establishments. Workers could, for example, choose to change their establishment to be closer to their home.
The FIQ opened a new day of specific consultations on Wednesday on Minister Christian Dubé’s legislative text. The union offered a hostile reception to Bill 15 when it was introduced in March. Prime Minister François Legault had also publicly criticized Mme Bouchard on Twitter and Minister Dubé said he was still looking for their collaboration.
On Wednesday, Julie Bouchard said she would appear before parliamentarians in “a spirit of collaboration”. The exchanges were cordial. “I am impressed with [contenu] your memory and the depth of your recommendations,” praised Mr. Dubé.
Surgery: the FIQ not invited
Still, the harmony was fragile. One hour before the parliamentary commission, Christian Dubé presented the new version of his remedial plan in surgery with the president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ), Dr.r Vincent Olive. The agreement between Quebec and the FMSQ provides for the payment of overtime to volunteer nurses who want to get their hands dirty.
“We weren’t invited, we found out this morning at the same time as everyone else […] It is regularly like that, we get up one morning and everything is spread out in the public square when we have not been consulted, ”explained Mr.me Bouchard, in a press scrum. She also expresses doubts about the means used by Quebec to encourage nurses to work overtime in operating rooms.
“You know bonuses, we currently have around 250, so we would also have to look with the negotiation table to see if that doesn’t come as a contraindication. […] It is also questionable because by dint of adding more, it is not a bonus that will ensure that the nurse will stay at work and that she will avoid sick leave from the outset because she does not can’t take it anymore. You have to separate things,” she said.
Open the door to privacy
Moreover, the FIQ believes that Bill 15 opens the door to the private sector. Section 2 provides that health and social services are provided in establishments “which may be either public or private”.
“Integrating the private sector so frontally jeopardizes the public network”, argued Mr.me Bouchard. The FIQ asks Quebec to reformulate the articles of the legislative text to limit recourse to the private sector. “Otherwise, the cost of this orientation will cost the population dearly and threaten the network’s ability to provide all the care and services provided for in the basket of services covered by the public network,” she said.
Not including in the reform measures to attract and retain caregivers could also contribute to their exodus to the private sector, argues the FIQ.