Comité provincial pour la prestation des services de santé et des services sociaux en langue anglaise

The mandate of the Comité provincial pour la prestation des services de santé et des services sociaux en langue anglaise (Comité provincial) is to give its opinion to the ministre de la Santé on accessibility and the provision of health and social services in the English language.

In particular, the members can:

• hold consultations;
• solicit opinions;
• receive and hear requests from persons, organizations or associations.

Specifically, Section 509  of the Act respecting health services and social services provides for the formation of a Comité provincial pour la prestation des services de santé et des services sociaux en langue anglaise. The Committee is created by regulation and its mandate is to advise the gouvernement du Québec on:

• the provision of health and social services in the English language;
• the approval, evaluation and modification by the gouvernement du Québec of each access program developed by an institution in accordance with section 348  of the Act.

The Act to modify the organization and governance of the health and social services network, in particular by abolishing the regional agencies adds two responsibilities to the Committee’s mandate:

• the approval of requests made by integrated health and social services centres for withdrawal of recognition, as provided for in the third paragraph of section 29.1  of the Charter of the French Language;
• the identification of organizations that promote the interests of English speakers in each region. These organizations will be consulted regarding the appointment of members of regional committees for access programs for health and social services in the English language.

The Comité provincial is composed of 11 voting members appointed by the Ministre de la Santé to represent all of the English-speaking population in Quebec, distributed as follows:

• two members residing within the Montréal health region;
• one member residing within the Laval health region;
• one member residing within the Montérégie health region;
• one member residing within the Estrie health region;
• one member residing within the Outaouais health region;
• five members residing within the other health regions of Québec.

The composition of the Committee must also meet the following criteria:

• at least one member must be a doctor who has practised in a centre used by a public health or social services institution, or be a professional or middle manager who has been employed by such an institution;
• one of these eleven members must be from an Indigenous community in Québec.

In addition to the eleven members, the Committee has an observer appointed by the Minister in each of the following categories:

• the people assigned to Indigenous affairs activities by Ministère du Conseil exécutif;
• the people assigned to this department’s activities concerning relations with English-speaking Quebecers, as required.

Each observer participates in the Committee sessions but does not have the right to vote.

A staff member of the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) is also designated by the ministry to act as secretary. That individual participates in the Comité provincial’s sessions as a member would but does not have the right to vote.

A person cannot be a member of the Comité provincial if he or she:

• does not reside in Quebec;
• is a minor;
• is under guardianship or curatorship;
• has, in the past three years, forfeited his office or been removed of his duties as a member of the board of directors of a health and social services institution or was removed from the Comité provincial;
• has, in the past three years, been convicted of an offence against the Act respecting health and social services (chapter S-4.2) or a regulation under the Act;
• holds a position as president, executive director, assistant president and executive director, senior administrator or senior management officer of a health and social services institution;
• is a member of the board of directors of a health and social services institution;
• is a member of the board of directors of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec;
• holds a position as a president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer of a foundation of a health and social services institution;
• is employed by the MSSS or the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec;
• is a member of a regional committee for programs that provide access to health and social services in the English language formed pursuant to section 510 of the Act respecting health and social services.

Note that there is no age limit for sitting on the Comité provincial. Retired and employed persons can be members.

The members of the Committee appoint a president and vice-president from among their number.

The Minister appoints as secretary of the Committee a member of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux staff who knows the concerns of English-speaking Quebecers regarding access to health and social services in English, is aware of them and has particular expertise in the legislative and administrative framework for providing health and social services in the English language. The secretary is considered the twelfth member of the Committee but does not have the right to vote. 

The term of office of the members of the Committee is a maximum of three years. Members may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

Upon the expiry of their term of office, they shall remain in office until reappointed or replaced.

The workload varies depending on the concerns of the English-speaking community that the members wish to advise the Minister on, as well as the steps they wish to take to succeed.

If subcommittees are established, the workload may increase as participating members will meet outside the Comité provincial’s meetings.

Members’ responsibilities include the following:

• submit to the Comité provincial for consideration matters regarding the provision and accessibility of health and social services to the English-speaking community;
• actively participate in meetings and subcommittees (if any) by speaking to fuel discussions;
• read the meeting minutes to help resolve them;
• plan to receive guests by reflecting on relevant questions to ask during presentations;
• validate and comment on the opinions written by the secretary;
• read any relevant documentation regarding the priority matters identified by the Comité provincial;
• comment on document proposals;
• propose work methods and participate in their implementation.

To register with the Comité provincial’s bank of applicants, complete the online form .

The Committee’s quorum is set by the majority, including the president and the vice-president.

The Committee’s decisions are made by the majority of the votes by the members present. In the event of a tie, the president of the Committee or, in the absence of the president, the vice-president has a casting vote.

The Comité provincial must hold at least five sessions per fiscal year. These meetings are held by videoconference. Special meetings may be added, as required.

The meetings are led in French and English and are held during the day on weekdays. They last about three hours, depending on needs.

Note that the documentation produced by the secretary (agenda, minutes, etc.) is exclusively in French and the documents regarding the Comité provincial are put on a platform. Therefore, the applicants need to master certain basic computer concepts and have access to a computer.

The Committee members serve in a personal capacity. To avoid any conflict of interest, they do not in any way represent an organization or social or political group. The members are not remunerated. However, they are entitled to reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under the conditions and to the extent determined by the gouvernement du Québec.

The Committee is composed of the following members:

• Vacant seat
• Vacant seat
• Vacant seat
• Monsieur Ian Williams (Laval)
• Madame Jennifer Johnson (Capitale-Nationale)
• Madame Jessica Synnott, vice-president (Gaspésie)
• Madame Norma Husk (Estrie)
• Madame Lise Viens (Laurentides)
• Madame Pauline Grunberg, president (Montréal)
• Monsieur Keith Leclaire (Montérégie)
• Monsieur Peter S. Eusanio (Montréal)
• Membre observateur du Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones (SAA)
• Membre observateur du Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise (SRQEA)

• Avis portant sur les services préhospitaliers d’urgence offerts en langue anglaise (in French only) (PDF 56 Kb)
• Rapport d’activités 2018-2019 du Comité (in French only) 

Ms. Ange Beaulieu is the secretary of the Committee. To reach the secretary, contact: