The Auditor General of Québec issues the conclusions of her financial audit work in the health and social services network - Press Release no. 4

Québec, March 22, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc makes public the Winter 2017 Volume of the Report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2016-2017. In Chapter 4, she makes known the results of her audit carried out in the health and social services network.

Once again this year, several independent auditor's reports on the financial statements of entities in the health and social services network contain a qualified opinion. As at March 31, 2016, there were 24 qualified opinions related to contracts for buildings leased from the Société québécoise des infrastructures, 6 qualified opinions regarding the application of the standard for government transfers relating to fixed assets and 9 other qualified opinions about various issues.

The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) directives for the assessment of contractual obligations towards intermediate and family-type facilities were not adequately applied by some institutions as at March 31, 2016. Different practices regarding the inclusion of agreement renewals for intermediate and family-type facilities in contractual obligations were observed in some institutions, which had the effect of misrepresenting the value of the contractual obligations presented as a note in the financial statements.

Accounting of research activities is inadequate. The accounting practices adopted in this regard by some institutions of the health and social services network are not always compliant with the Canadian Public Sector Accounting Standards, which has the effect of distorting the picture of their financial statements.

The Act to provide for balanced budgets in the public health and social services network, which has been in force for 16 years, is still not complied with by many institutions. Among the 34 institutions of the health and social services network, 14 posted deficits totalling $87 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. More than three quarters of them also presented a deficit budget approved by their board of directors.

Follow-Up on recommendations. A follow-up of 11 recommendations made to the MSSS in previous years and published in the reports entitled Audit of Financial Information and Other Related Work is being done. Of these recommendations, 3 have been applied, 1 is progressing satisfactorily, while for the other 7, progress is unsatisfactory.

The Highlights are available at www.vgq.qc.ca. The full report is available only in French.

Source:	Lucie Roy, Director of Communications
	Auditor General of Québec
	Tel.: [phone]

SOURCE Vérificateur Général du Québec

Lucie Roy, Director of Communications, Auditor General of Québec, Tel.: [phone]

Related Links

www.vgq.gouv.qc.ca