Quebec refuses to publish its timetable for reforming the health system



The Québec Ombudsman had asked the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) to send her, no later than January 14, 2022, a work plan indicating the actions chosen and the proposed timetable for the implementation of each of the recommendations of his report (New window) on the management of Residential and long-term care center during the first wave of the pandemic.

Today, what is urgent is to project ourselves quickly into the near future to give Residential and long-term care center and to the health and social services network that oversees them the means of their missions. »

A quote from Excerpt from the report of the Québec Ombudsman, published on November 23, 2021

The Protector’s report, entitled COVID-19 in CHSLD during the first wave of the pandemic – Targeting the causes of the crisis, acting, remembering, made several recommendations that found their way into the health plan presented by Minister Christian Dubé last month. For example, a recommendation on the need to make efforts to recruit and retain the workforce or the strengthening of investigative powers in Residential and long-term care center.

But the health plan presented to the public on March 29 did not contain any timeline associated with its objectives.

However, the Ministry confirms to us that it submitted its work plan and timetable to the Protector in January for the implementation of its recommendations, but it is impossible to consult it.

This document is subject to the access to information law, so you must make an official requestreplied the spokesman of the Ministry of Health and Social ServicesRobert Maranda.

However, in a response to a request for access, the ministry refuses to reveal it, justifying that it is confidential.

The letter is signed by Assistant Deputy Minister Daniel Desharnais, who, in addition to overseeing access to documents, was himself one of the main authors of the health plan.

The absence of an implementation timetable in this plan had been criticized by the opposition and the unions.

There is no timeline in the document [pour atteindre les objectifs visés] nor any way to get there. This is what worries us the most right now. »

A quote from Julie Bouchard, president of the Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ), March 29, 2022.

the Ministry of Health and Social Services invokes two sections of the Public Protector Act to justify keeping the action plan and the timetable secret.

Article 24 says that the intervention of the Québec Ombudsman is carried out privately and article 26.2 says that the Québec Ombudsman may, each time he gives an opinion to the head of a public body, make any recommendation he deems useful and request to be informed of the measures that have actually been taken to remedy the prejudicial situation..

Does this mean that the department has the right to refuse access to a document that it produced itself? Yes, explains the Office of the Public Protector.

Documents, such as an organization’s follow-up regarding the Québec Ombudsman’s recommendations, are confidential since they were exchanged within the framework of the performance of the Québec Ombudsman’s duties. »

A quote from Carole-Anne Huot, spokesperson for the Québec Ombudsman

However, the Québec Ombudsman’s office points out that it keeps an annual report in which it reports on the follow-up to its recommendations, and this, until the implementation, to its satisfaction, of the recommendations.

In addition, the Québec Ombudsman specifically suggested that the Ministère de la Santé report annually and publicly, over the next five years, on the progress of this monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations.

We should therefore expect a public follow-up from the Ministry of Health and Social Servicesno later than November 2022.

To prepare for this follow-up, the Department will meet with the Protecteur in June.

Examples of the Québec Ombudsman’s recommendations found in the government’s health plan

  • Reduce absenteeism in the network.
  • Deploy staff attraction and retention strategies in collaboration with various partners.
  • Put in place strategies for the massive recruitment of personnel on the national and international level, including incentive measures and facilitating access to training.
  • Collect data to establish a comprehensive picture of personnel needs, through a workforce planning exercise, in public and private accommodation facilities.
  • Acquire integrated information systems that make it possible to obtain centralized information at all times and in real time to guide day-to-day management, particularly in terms of human resources, surveillance and health monitoring, as well as supplies.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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