The Québec Ombudsman's 2022-2023 Annual Report - News release 2 - Health services and social services: staff shortages, but really…

QUÉBEC CITY, Sept. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Québec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd tabled his 2022-2023 Annual Report in the National Assembly.

Again, this year, numerous investigations by his institution have shown that glaring staff shortages throughout the public health and social services network are cited by authorities as the main reason for service cuts, reductions and disruptions.

"It's not enough to simply blame reduced services on staff shortages, especially for the most vulnerable groups. Even if it's clear that institutions need additional resources, they must do all they can to enable existing teams to maintain the most comprehensive services possible," said Mr. Dowd.

Are service users' needs the guiding principle?

The Québec Ombudsman's 2022-2023 Annual Report homes in on major failings in public health network organizations. Here are a few examples of situations that are cause for concern:

• This year, people who rely on home support were not spared service cuts. Reduced care often means that informal caregivers must do more. This can compromise the ability of elderly people or people with disabilities to continue living at home.
• According to data from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, more than 4,000 people are waiting for a place to open up in a CHSLD. In the meantime, some service users are shuttled from one resource to another, creating a form of "homelessness" among people with advanced loss of autonomy.
• The public care and services network is made up of a multitude of institutions, organizations, programs and departments. Service breakdowns occur when communication between them fails. This is why a young adult with a disability waited months for an essential blood test, which finally landed her in hospital for urgent care.
• In January 2022, the Quebec Ombudsman received the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux action plan for implementing the Ombudsman's recommendations from its report on COVID-19 in CHSLDs during the first wave of the pandemic. Some are well on the way to being implemented, while others require further discussion, particularly on the use of emergency labour. The Québec Ombudsman will weigh in on these follow-ups in its Annual Report every year.

Exemplary dedication

"It would be unfair not to acknowledge the dedication of health and social services workers who often go beyond the call of duty under very difficult conditions," Marc-André Dowd emphasized.

A few figures

In 2022-2023, the Québec Ombudsman handled 2,233 grounds for complaints and reports about the health and social services network. 43.2% of these grounds were considered substantiated.

Main grounds for substantiated grounds for complaints and reports:

• Poor service quality (24.7%);
• Failure to respect citizens' rights (15.9%);
• Failings in staff competence or behaviour (14.4%).

The Québec Ombudsman acts impartially and independently in ensuring that people's rights are respected in their dealings with public services. Its services are free and user-friendly.

For complete information about the Québec Ombudsman's 2022-2023 Annual Report, go to the Annual Reports section of our website.

SOURCE Protecteur du citoyen

Carole-Anne Huot, person in charge of media relations, Cell: [phone]/Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]