Every year, while the public is returning to work at the beginning of January, the health network personnel remain mobilized, offering care and comfort to those who are going through difficult times. This reality is all the more striking at a time when, with the new work contract going into effect for the 80,000 healthcare professionals, it becomes critical to highlight the persistent challenges hindering the smooth running of the health network.

Despite the measures negotiated to improve our working conditions, the Coalition avenir Québec government continues to demand more from the healthcare professionals: more hours, more sacrifices, often to the detriment of our personal balance.

In the early days of January, a critical period marked by heavy emergency room traffic, the government took some worrying decisions: abolishing key positions, postponing hirings and reducing hours worked in the network. These choices, which are in total contradiction with the government’s stated priorities, come at a time when Santé Québec’s senior executives are slowly taking over management of the network, leaving healthcare professionals and the FIQ perplexed.

The FIQ is striving for more stability for its members for 2025. However, the recently announced massive abolitions and freeze on positions are far from this objective. While healthcare needs are growing everywhere, the staff shortage persists. It was even reported that a senior civil servant warned the president of Santé Québec, Geneviève Biron, about the negative impacts of the cuts on home support.

The recent decisions cause an instability that discourages new generations of healthcare professionals, mainly women, from joining the public network. Abolishing positions and a lack of long-term planning makes this career less attractive, especially in a sector where the working conditions are precarious and where the mental and physical burden is often ignored. The statistics are worrying: nearly 30% of nurses and 35% of licensed practical nurses are leaving the network within five years, a phenomenon amplified by a looming shortage of respiratory therapists. These challenges reinforce the specific obstacles faced by the women in this essential sector.

Faced with this lack of planning, the FIQ obtained a commitment from the government in the new collective agreement to introduce safe ratios. A committee has been formed to make good on this promise. However, a rigorous planning of the needs, adapted to demographic realities, has not been carried out for nearly  25 years. So, this approach is essential to guarantee an efficient, accessible and attractive network for those who choose to invest in it.

The working conditions remain at the heart of making the network attractive. However, despite repeated promises, mandatory overtime (MOT) is still a widespread practice. At Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, more than 20 MOTs were recorded in a single day in December. It’s more urgent than ever to eliminate this practice, but it must be said that it is still very much a reality.

The FIQ is also calling on the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, to respect his commitment to reducing the waiting lists for surgery. Although $60 million has been earmarked in the work contract to alleviate the delays, healthcare professionals are ready to contribute to this effort. However, instead of maximizing public provision, the government has opted to expand the use of private clinics, a decision that is increasing the financial burden on the government and its citizens.

In a context where Minister Dubé imposed a directive to cut $1.5 billion in the network, the FIQ urges the latter to reconsider his position. Budgetary constraints must never be to the detriment of public care. The FIQ is determined to use its expertise to build a solid and stable public network, while avoiding short-term decisions that would only worsen the situation. This approach should be preferred to using expensive consultants who are often out of touch with the realities in the field.

At the start of this new year, as we healthcare professionals continue to watch over the health network, I’d like to send my best regards to you, to all the healthcare staff and to those who are ill. Now, more than ever, is the time to work together to find sustainable and humane solutions, because health is not negotiable.