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.