News

 Longueuil  – The future of public-system medical labs will be the focus of discussions on May 6. For National Medical Laboratory Week, taking place this year from April 14 to 20, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) will hold a major event in Québec City: a provincial-level day of reflection on the future of labs in the health and social services system.

“Labs in the public system are facing tremendous challenges that will define the future of biomedical testing services provided to Quebecers,” said Robert Comeau, APTS president. “The accessibility and quality of services, the labour shortage, difficulties attracting future workers to CEGEP training programs, and the centralization of testing will be some of the topics addressed. On May 6, we would like to bring together all partners involved to look at these problems and propose concrete solutions.”

With the theme Moving forward for the future of our labs, the APTS will bring together actors and partners from many different horizons. Physicians’ federations and associations, CEGEPs, groups representing service users, professional orders, health and social services unions and other partners will join APTS representatives in labs to share their thoughts and propose collective solutions for the future of labs.

An overall vision leading to concrete solutions

This event is intended as a sequel to an extensive tour, which began 18 months ago, during which the APTS has gone to meet members from labs across Québec to ask them about the issues they face on a daily basis and to take stock of the overall situation in this crucial sector of the public system. Based on these observations, the union now believes it is necessary to bring together health and social services system actors and partners to agree on innovative solutions to improve the situation.

“Labs are able to function because their employees are deeply committed and have an expertise that is irreplaceable,” said Sandra Etienne, medical technologist and APTS vice-president. “But these employees are worried about the future of their services and their professions. The difficulties in this sector impact the entire system. This is why we need to take a broader look to find the right solutions and truly make labs a priority.”

The day’s discussions will lead to a joint statement from participating partners, which will summarize findings and solutions for moving forward for the future of labs.

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.