Many people have had bad experiences in the medical system, and healthcare workers want to hear about it.
Quebec's Interprofessional Federation of Health in Quebec (FIQ) has launched a 1-800 number to collect complaints about experiences in the healthcare system.
It's not entirely altruistic: the FIQ is pressuring the provincial government to increase medical spending and to rescind several cost-cutting measures implemented by Bill 20.
Regine Laurent, the head of the union, said many nurses are talking about the effect of budget cuts demanded by the Liberal government and she wanted to collect more stories from patients about what they have endured.
She said cuts have led to reductions in staff levels at hospitals, and nurses spending less time with patients.
FIQ Treasurer Roberto Bomba said the union has been proposing alternatives to budget cuts but believes the government has no interest in listening to its solutions.
"We're at a point, we're at a standstill, where we're seeing situations going on in the healthcare system that put at risk the healthcare professionals, the patients as well," said Bomba.
"We're seeing that when we denounce the situation, our healthcare professionals denounce these situations, there are reactions. They get sanctioned. Some of them get suspended."
Bomba said some employees have been fired for speaking up.
"There's like this omerta, this law that if you work in the healthcare sector, and you're a professional, you can never speak out on unacceptable conditions that are going on," said Bomba.
In April the FIQ published a poll indicating 47 percent of nurses were considering taking early retirement before a law came into effect setting the retirement age at age 62.
The telephone number is 1-844-FIQ-AIDE (347-2433), and complaints can also be filed online at www.fiq-aide.info.
The FIQ says all submissions will be anonymous. The telephone line will be operated 24/7 for the next three weeks.
