François-Denis Gonthier has been an orphan patient for two years. Last week, on January 10th, he decided to deploy GAP, and waited 1h30 on the phone without getting an appointment. He tries again on Monday, but has to hang up three hours later due to lack of time.

On Tuesday he finally managed to speak to someone after another 2 hours of waiting. His appointment was set for Wednesday evening. This week full of adventure scared him a lot, he says.

” I’m stressed out by the thought of falling on someone sick in my house and needing to see a doctor. Phone call GAPwaiting for hours, i don’t know what to do. »

I don’t find myself much better equipped than before GAPhe adds.

The CIUSSS says it is sensitive to this situation and is working to adjust and improve its service. the GAP has received an average of 800 inquiries per week since its inception last June.

The service experiences busier times, but the CUSSS claims a typical wait should be around 45 minutes. He recommends consulting the virtual access desk to avoid waiting, or hanging up if the wait seems too long.

Family doctor Benoit Heppell regrets the long waiting times and points out that François-Denis Gonthier’s situation is not an isolated case. However, he asks the public for patience as the program is still in the running-in phase.

Before the existence of GAP, no service was offered for customers without a general practitioner. Even if it’s imperfect, even if I find it sad that someone has to call three times and wait on the phone, it’s still a sign that we’re moving towards an interesting solution.he is arguing.

With information from Zoé Bellehumeur and Marion Bérubé