Days after Quebec’s French language minister said a new directive for health-care workers was “clear,” his office says the government will clarify the policy after meeting with groups representing the English-speaking community.
Jean-François Roberge met with the groups Tuesday after mounting criticism about the directive, which laid out when health-care workers are allowed to communicate in a language other than French.
His press secretary, Marie-Joëlle Dorval-Robitaille, told CTV News that the government will “add clarifications” and produce a new document in the coming days.
In an interview with CTV News on Aug. 9, Roberge said “I think it’s pretty clear when you read the directive well,” adding that the directive is meant for administrative matters and does not affect health-care services.
According to the 31-page directive released on July 18, all communications must be in French, though there is an exception for English speakers stating that “historic anglophones” can provide an eligibility certificate if they want to receive communications exclusively in English with health-care workers.
There are other exceptions that would also allow someone to receive care in a language other than French, including emergency situations, when a patient has to consent to treatment, or when they need to make decisions affecting their health and well-being, among others.
However, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), which represents the English-speaking minority in Quebec, federal MPs, and a legal expert raised concerns about the document, pointing to the confusion it has created and the burden placed on health-care workers to decide who can and cannot be eligible for care in the language of their choice.
This is a developing story that will be updated.