Bill 15: Quebec tables legislation to overhaul health system
The CAQ government has unveiled its long-promised plan to improve Quebec's public health network.
Tabled at the Quebec legislature Wednesday by Health Minister Christian Dubé, Bill 15 promises a major shakeup. He said he's confident health professionals will approve.
"They will be very proud to be part of the changes we're making," he said.
Bill 15, An act to make the health and social services system more effective, is a massive piece of legislation consisting of nearly 300 pages and more than 1,100 articles. It will modify more than 30 laws.
One major change is creating a new management organization, Santé Québec. The agency will handle the day-to-day operations in hospitals and health-care facilities. With Santé Québec in charge, the CIUSSS acronym will no longer apply.
Quebec also wants medical specialists to increase the number of patients they see.
The bill also allows for more mobility with staff, who will retain their seniority if they work in another region.
Improving work conditions and culture will go a long way, said Dubé.
"Once upon a time, there was a culture of the patients. There was a feeling of being part of a team in one hospital. This has been lost," he said. "The first thing that we need to do is get back nurses and personnel in the system."
Opposition parties are critical and unconvinced that Bill 15 will make a significant difference.
"We have a hard time understanding how these changes, which are mainly in the management of the network, will give people better services," said PQ health critic Joel Arseneau.
Liberal MNA Andre Fortin said the focus is in the wrong areas.
"There seems to be a focus on the structure of the health-care network instead of focus on patient care, on attracting people to the health-care network, on making sure we have the proper resources to treat Quebecers when they need care," he said.
Bill 15 has only been tabled and will be debated and possibly modified in the coming months.
Given its size, it's still unclear when the bill will be passed into law.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.