Recommendations in the Ombudsperson’s final report meet with highly favourable response from the APTS

November 24, 2021

Montréal – The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) strongly supports the conclusions reached by Ombudsperson Marie Rinfret in her final report. Recommendations dealing with the organization of work and the expertise of personnel who were physically present in CHSLDs are similar to the union’s own recommendations to the coroner a few weeks ago, confirming the APTS position. The APTS is offering its cooperation to ministers Christian Dubé, Lionel Carmant and Marguerite Blais to implement the Ombudsperson’s recommendations, which are designed to improve the living environment of residents and the work environment of those who take care of them.

“The Ombudsperson’s report is a faithful depiction of the situation our members told us they had seen and experienced during the first wave of the pandemic,” says APTS president Robert Comeau. “As we explained at the hearings for the coroner’s inquiry on November 8, we believe there is a need to radically review how work is organized in our health and social services system, and how respect is shown for employees’ expert knowledge. That’s what we have to do if we want to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.”

Powerful recommendations

The APTS is particularly happy with recommendations about recognizing the complexity of the work performed by health and social services employees, and about the importance for “professional orders, federations and associations of professionals in health and social services, labour unions, and educational institutions” to work together in developing plans and protocols for the deployment of an emergency workforce in the event of another public health crisis.

“Professionals and technicians have the expertise required to provide the essential care that CHSLD residents need, in terms of rehabilitation, nutrition, and psychosocial follow-up,” adds 1st APTS vice-president Josée Fréchette. “Both government and institutions must recognize the crucial part played by these employees, and involve them in functions where they can make a contribution truly reflecting their expert knowledge.”

The APTS offers its full cooperation to improve our elders’ living environments

Like the Ombudsperson, the APTS believes that reform must be carried out in cooperation with everyone who works in institutional living environments and care settings on a daily basis.

Comeau and Fréchette have a final comment: “We want to emphasize the very human quality of Ms. Rinfret’s report. This confirms us in the belief that by working together, we can acknowledge the issues, remember this terrible event, and make the system better so that we never have to face anything like it again. The government must act quickly to implement her recommendations. And once again, we’re offering our cooperation so that quick action can be taken.”

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents a total of 60,000 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 the population as a whole, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.