Quebec City, 17 June 2025 — After a press briefing with the Santé Québec authorities regarding network preparation to face summer challenges, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ pointed out that several fundamental issues remain unresolved, particularly in remote and semi-urban regions.

“We are dissatisfied with their vague, imprecise message. We were expecting a clear picture of the situation, but what we got was more of a PR exercise. For healthcare professionals, it means another summer that will be improvised and short staffed, with high risks of jeopardizing the quality of care provided to patients,” stated Julie Bouchard, FIQ President.

The FIQ would also like to respond to the mention of float teams, staffed by 55 nurses province wide. For the union, this solution is far from adequate to respond to the urgent needs in regions like Abitibi-Témiscamingue. “The float teams are a like a band aid on an open wound. The government is well-aware that they cannot compensate for years of underfunding and the loss of local expertise,” insisted the FIQ president.

Furthermore, the FIQ deplores the fact that service reductions over the summer have become a systematic practice, year after year. It is calling for a real change in culture in the summer management of the health network. “Summer should not be synonymous with reduced care. Patient needs remain the same throughout the year, and healthcare professionals, often understaffed during their well-deserved vacations, cannot continue to carry the weight of the network alone,” concluded Ms. Bouchard.

About the FIQ

The FIQ represents over 80,000 nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists who work in healthcare institutions province wide. It is a feminist organization with a nearly 90% female membership, dedicated to defending its members and patients in the public health network.