Québec, le 29 January 2026 — The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ welcomes the provincial “Mieux chez soi” (Better at home) policy, which positions the Centres locaux de services communautaires (CLSC) as the main gateway for the comprehensive assessment of individuals with reduced autonomy. CLSCs are the best placed to ensure continuity of care and services, thanks to their mission integrating physical, mental and social health, as well as a population-based responsibility within their territory.

However, the FIQ emphasizes one key point: the upgrading of CLSCs can only be achieved if there are enough healthcare professionals and their expertise is fully utilized. “CLSCs must have the necessary healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive and safe patient care, while respecting their fields of competence and expertise”, pointed out Julie Bouchard, President of the FIQ.

In the past, the FIQ and the Ministry of Health and Social Services conducted a project on ratios in home care. This project demonstrated that it’s possible to optimize the healthcare professionals’ time: 80% can be devoted to patients and 20% to administrative tasks. “ Thanks to this approach, the amount of time actually spent with patients has been increased, directly improving the quality of home care while reducing the administrative burden”, added Ms. Bouchard.

In addition, the FIQ questions the distribution of the new budget announced for home care: what portion will be truly allocated to hiring and increasing the presence of healthcare professionals in CLSCs? For the Federation, this investment is essential to guarantee the quality and safety of care and to produce concrete results for patients.

“Promoting CLSCs means recognizing the central role of healthcare professionals who work there, their expertise and their vital contribution to continuity of care and to maintaining and restoring the health of the population. Without them, no home- care policy will be able to achieve its objectives”, concluded the president.