MONTREAL – Christian Dubé has succeeded in subjecting emergency services to its logic of performance evaluation and results-based financing.

The Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it had reached agreement with all ambulance companies serving Quebec on a new three-year service contract that will take effect on October 8 next year.

This contract sets out the rates paid to companies for emergency services.

The government policy on the prehospital emergency system presented in June 2022 already announced the imposition of restrictions on “corporate transparency, performance and accountability”. The aim of the new agreement is to “make the network of health and social services more efficient,” according to the statement published by the minister’s office on Thursday.

There we can read in relation to transparency that “ambulance companies will have to demonstrate increased transparency by submitting their audited financial reports to the Department of Health and Human Services (MSSS) every year”.

Confidential transparency, performance and penalties

However, this reporting, audited by The Canadian Press, is reserved for the department and the financial reports remain confidential. They cannot therefore be used by the trade unions in the margins of their contract negotiations with the various employers in the preclinical area.

In terms of performance and results, “about 15% of payments to ambulance companies will be linked to their performance in order to increase efficiency” and the companies will be “subject to the imposition of penalties provided for in the event of ‘hours’ of non-performance” .

Minister Dubé welcomed this agreement, which he considers to be an important step. “The transformation of the prehospital emergency system is a priority project and this new contract is an important part of it. Ultimately, Quebecers can count on more coordinated and efficient prehospital services,” he said.