Access to Health Care for the Official Language Minority Communities : Legal Bases, Current Initiatives and Future Prospects : Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages

The report points out that within the Quebec Anglophone community, access to health and social services offered in English varies with a number of factors such as demographic weight, economic restrictions and changing government priorities. In the spring of 2000, the Missisquoi Institute conducted a survey of Quebec Anglophones’ perceptions of the health and social services obtained in their language. While access to services in the Montreal administrative region was quite high, it was a problem in the regional Anglophone communities. When it appeared before our committee, the Quebec Community Group Network presented a table revealing that, in the regions where Anglophone communities represent less than 2.5% of the regional population, the percentage of health and social services accessible in English is quite low: Lower St. Lawrence (17.9%), Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (16.3%), Quebec City (31.7%), Mauricie (22.8%), Chaudière-Appalaches (43.3%) and Lanaudière (41.1%). The Association representing the Anglophone population of the Gaspé peninsula — the Committee for Anglophone Social Action — numbering some 10,000 or 10% of the population, commented on the results of the Missisquoi Institute Survey before the Committee. Whether prenatal care, palliative care or preventive medicine is involved, “[…] the [Gaspesian] English-speaking community is in crisis in terms of access to health services.” The right to health care and social services in English is recognized in Quebec as the result of amendments in 1986 to the Act respecting health services and social services. Article 15 of this legislation provides that “English-speaking persons are entitled to receive health services and social services in the English language.”

Ottawa, ON

House of Commons. Standing Committee on Official Languages.

October 2003

x-44p.

en & fr