Every September 17, World Patient Safety Day reminds us that care quality cannot be separated from patient safety. This day, established by the World Health Organization, aims to raise public awareness, increase understanding of this issue worldwide, encourage solidarity and spur concrete action at an international level. In Québec too, this call must resonate strongly. Because behind the indicators, the dashboards and the reforms, there are people who are waiting, who are suffering, who are hoping to receive the right care, at the right time, in safe conditions.

We have been saying this for a long time: patient safety depends first and foremost on working conditions that enable nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists to carry out their work properly. When a healthcare professional is responsible for too many patients, when there is a shortage of replacements, and when overtime becomes the norm, the risk of errors increases, clinical monitoring is reduced and moral distress sets in. It is not a question of dedication. Care-giving staff already give their all. It is a question of organization of work, planning and political will.

Protecting patients also means protecting those who care for them.

Yet solutions do exist. We need to strengthen frontline services to prevent the ER from becoming the default point of entry. We need to implement realistic safe healthcare professional-to-patient ratios. We also need to better recognize and utilize the expertise of all professionals in the health network.

On this World Patient Safety Day, Québec needs to choose what it wants to defend: a network that is struggling to plug the gaps, or a strong, humane and safe public network. The solidarity that this day is all about must not remain an abstract principle. It must be translated into concrete decisions.

At a time when the election campaign is in full swing and promises are piling up, this day takes on its full significance. Listen to patients, yes. But also listen to healthcare professionals who see every day where the system holds up… and where it breaks down. Patient safety is a collective responsibility. And it starts with the political will to finally give the public network the resources it needs to provide care, with no compromises.

Julie Bouchard, President

Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ