October 8, 2025

Health

This section on Accessing Healthcare in English provides an overview of how English speakers can navigate healthcare in Quebec.

Note to reader: Bill 15 introduced a large-scale reform of the healthcare system – some of the changes are explained herein. However,many government and healthcare institutions’ websites have not yet been updated and may still refer to outdated laws or terminology during this transition period.

Part 1: Obtaining health care in Quebec in English

Part 1 provides a brief overview of healthcare in Quebec (RAMQ, medical insurance, medical files) and explains access to interpreters in English in case a healthcare provider is unable to provide services in English.

Basics of Quebec health care

Quebec health insurance

Quebec’s Health Insurance Plan, managed by the RAMQ, gives Quebecers access to free health and social services. The plan covers almost all medically necessary care. People born in Quebec are automatically registered for health insurance if their parents were eligible at the time of birth. Otherwise, you may be eligible as a “Person settled in Québec” or a “Person temporarily staying in Québec.” You can find more information on how to obtain a health insurance card here.

For non-emergency health concerns, the first level of care is usually provided by family doctors. They can either provide care themselves or refer you to a specialist. If you don’t have a family doctor, you can register on the provincial waiting list: the Québec Family Doctor Finder (form available in English). While waiting for a family doctor to be assigned to you, you can call Info-Santé 811 to obtain an appointment with a generalist doctor.

Private health carealso exists in Quebec, although it is not covered by the provincial health insurance plan and must be paid by the patient.

Public medication insurance

In Quebec, you can be covered by either a private or a private medication insurance plan.You can access the public medication plan ifyou meet any of the following conditions:

You do not have a private medication insurance plan (for example, through your employer);
You are aged 65 or older;
You receive financial aid from the government; or
Children of someone covered by the public plan are eligible, as are children who have lived in Quebec for more than six months.

You can find more information at the RAMQ websitehere (available in English).

Medical file and access to your health information

Your medical file contains your personal information that you are entitled to access. You can access some of your medical information online through Québec Health Booklet (Carnet santé Québec). This portal allows you to see your medication prescriptions andresults of medical tests. If you cannot find the information you are looking for in the online portal, or if you wish to correct information in your medical file, you can submit a request for free to the institution. Here is a breakdown by Éducaloiof how to complete this process.

The following explains the rules on access to a child’s medical file:

Any person above the age of 14 has the right to access their own medical file.
Parents have a right to access the medical file of their child under the age of 14.
For a child between the ages of 14 and 18, parents are not permitted to access that child’s medical file if the child refuses to grant access or if the institution determines that parental access might have a negative effect on the child’s health.

Access to English-French interpreters

The policy of the Ministry of Health and Social Services is that interpreters should be available in all of Quebec’s health care institutions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the province. These services are free of cost to the patient.This option may help English speakers seeking services in an indicated institution in which the service requested is unavailable in English.

As of January 2025, a new centralized platform for interpreters in healthcare in Quebec lists English as one of the languages offered. Patients can also communicate with their institution to receive access to an interpreter.

In practice, research by the QCGN (now TALQ) Access to Justice Project has found that many institutions consider that interpretation services are only available to those who speak neither English nor French. English-speaking patients who wish to obtain interpretation services should communicate with their institution about using the services of the Banque d’interprètes du RSSS.

Part 2: Right to obtain health and social services in English

The right to access healthcare in English

English-speaking Quebecers have the right to access health and social services in English in Quebec. Section 18of the Act Respecting the Governance of the Health and Social Services System (AGHSSS) outlines the rights of English-speaking users and the responsibilities of institutions with regard to the services offered to English-speaking patients (prior to the passage of Bill 15, this right was found in section 15 of the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services (AHSSS)). This section provides broad recognition of the right to receive health and social services in English.

A service accessible in English is defined as a service given in English within a reasonable time after it has been requested. An English-speaking person is defined as someone who, in their relations with an establishment which delivers health or social services, feels more at ease expressing themselves and receiving services in English.Any person who is more comfortable in English holds this right – they do not have to be eligible for schooling in English.

Limitations to the right to healthcare in English

However, the right to healthcare in English is not absolute. This right is subject to: (1) the extent provided by an access program; and (2) the organizational structure and human, material and financial resources of the institutions providing the services. So, institutions have broad discretion to limit services offered in English on the basis of available resources.

1. Different levels of English-language service: Designated institutions or access programs

Different institutions or establishments provide different levels of service in English.

Designatedinstitutions provideall their health and social services in both English and French – they are institutions “designated” as a bilingual institution under s. 29.1 of the Charter of the French Language (CFL).
Indicatedinstitutions, on the other hand, only offer some services in English. These services are listed in an access program. The access program must ensure that everyone has equitable access to English-language services of the same quality as those offered to French-speaking users.

2. Organizational structure and resource limitations

The fact that an institution is “designated” or “indicated” and must provide all or some services in English does not, however, give English-speaking patients an absolute right to receive these services in their language. This right is tempered by sections 16 and 18 of the AGHSSS (formerly sections 13 and 15 of the AHSSS).

Indeed, the offering of services in English must take into consideration the organization and the human, material and financial resources of the institutions that provide these services – the right does not immunize English-speakers from the resources and personnel limitations that are experienced across the entire healthcare system. Therefore, an institution will not violate the right if it fails to provide health services in English if it has a shortage of English-speaking personnel or of documents in English, or if offering such services is too costly.

This limitation is especially relevant for indicated institutions. Since only some services are offered in English, these institutions have fewer resources dedicated to English speakers (for example, it would be harder for an institution to justifythe expense of English-language documentation or the necessity of bilingual staff if it hasfewer English-speaking patients).

Exceptions under the Charter of the French Language (CFL)

The CFL provides two exceptions, in the context of health and social services, to the general rule that services must be in French. These can benefit English speakers.

First, documents filed in clinical records can be drafted in French or in English, as determined by the person drafting the documents.
Second, health and public safety concerns – i.e. situations engaging the rights to life, liberty, and security of the person – could ground an exception to the French-language requirements for online communications contained in the CFL and in Bill 96. It could be argued that the government can deviate from those requirements in emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the CFL provides an exception allowing the administration to use a language other than French if necessary for health and public safety.

Part 3: Oversight committees and complaints

Complaints

If you believe that your rights have not been respected, including the right to obtain health services in English, you can submit a complaint.

Complaints can be submitted to the institution’s service quality and complaints commissioner. This process is confidential and can be stopped at any time. The commissioner will examine your complaint. Throughout this process, you may be accompanied by a member of the institution’s user committee or a person from the complaints assistance and support centre in your region.

If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of the first instance complaint process with the commissioner, you may file a second-level complaint with the Ombudsman, who will examine your complaint and respond within 60 working days.

A guide on how to file a complaint, as well as further resources and contact information, may be found hereon the Quebec government website: The health and social services network complaint examination system.

Committees

The provincial committee for English-language services (Comité provincial pour la prestation des services de santé et des services sociauxen langue anglaise) is tasked with giving its opinion to the Minister of Health on accessibility and the provision of health and social services in English. The members can hold consultations; solicit opinions; and hear requests from people or organizations. This committee also advises the Government on access programs. If you wish to contact the Committee, please find the contact information here. The name of this committee has been changed to “national committee” (comité national) until Bill 15 (see s. 416), but this change has not yet been reflected on all websites.

In addition to a province-wide committee, multiple Regional English Language Committees give their opinion on Santé Québec’s access program, evaluate the program, and suggest modifications. These committees must be composed of between 7 and 11 members who are representative of English speakers in that region.

Part 4: Regional disparities & senior care

Two populations may face particular challenges accessing to healthcare in English: those living in remote areas, and seniors.

Regional disparities

Most of the designated institutions, which provide all services in English, are concentrated in the Montreal area (see annex). English-speaking Quebecers in the regions have lower access to healthcare in English. Language is an additional burden in the regions, where distance and less availability of specialists already makes access to healthcare more difficult.

The government considers that a certain percentage of English-speakers is needed in a particular region in order to justify expending resources to offer health and social services in English in that region. In areas with fewer English speakers, the government may deem that the numbers are insufficient to justify having designated institutions or having particular services in English. This is the limitation on the right to obtain healthcare in English under s. 18of the AGHSSS.

Under Bill 15 reforms, institutions will retain recognition as “installations providing services in English,” according to s. 29.1 CFL, under some conditions. However, Santé Québec will now be empowered to remove such recognition if it does not provide a majority of services in English (see clauses 1518-1519 of Bill 15). Thus, the risk is especially high in the regions that healthcare installations will lose their designation. Moreover, which data will be used to define a “majority” is unclear.

Seniors

English-speaking seniors are at particular risk from a lack of access to healthcare. English-speakers above the age of 65 are more likely to be unilingual English-speaking rather than bilingual. They are more likely to have mobility issues, making it more difficult to travel if English-language services are farther away. They are also more likely to need healthcare services in the first place. Language is an additional factor of vulnerability and not one they can easily change.

The greatest need for senior healthcare, especially in the context of an aging population, is increased access to at-home care. Demand for at-home services is expected to grow in the next few years. In a survey, only 18% of English-speaking seniors and their caregivers believe that the availability of home care services in English is very good, and only 20% rated the quality of those services as very good. The reasons for this dissatisfaction included: long wait lists (23%), lack of services (17%), insufficient staff (16%), and difficulty accessing services (15%). This is already an area in which seniors face significant language barriers, due to, for instance, transfer of services to agencies not beholden to the same language regulations and high turnover of nurses.ReadAJEQ’s Report on Senior Care in English for in-depth research on these challenges.

Part 5: Structure of access to healthcare in English: Bill 15 and Santé Québec

Structural reforms

Prior to Bill 15, the Ministry of Health and Social Services oversaw a network of Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS or CIUSSS), each of which administered health and social services in a particular region of Quebec. Each CISSS or CIUSSS was either designated or indicated – i.e., they either had to provide all their services in English or they had to have an access program detailing which of their services were available in English.

Now, under the Bill 15 reforms, each CISSS and CIUSSS will be integrated into a single provincial entity: Santé Québec. This centralized entity will control the administration of health and social services for the entire province. The overarching goal is to increase efficiency within the public health system. Santé Québec will manage the operational side, while the Ministry of Health and Social Services will focus on strategic planning. The reform will also bring back hundreds of managerial positions that were eliminated during previous reforms in 2015.

Effect on access to healthcare for English-speaking Quebecers

Bill 15 reaffirmed the right to obtain health and social services in English, with the same limitation as before. Yet, changes made to the healthcare system may indirectly impact English-speaking Quebecers’ access to healthcare.

The potential impact of this bill on the English-speaking community has been a concern since it was first introduced. TALQ(formerly QCGN), as representative of this community, brought forth a petition at the National Assembly calling for additional consultations and amendments to Bill 15 to preserve health and social service proximity to the community, including in the English language.

Designated English-language healthcare institutions

The institutions that were already designated as English-language institutions – meaning that they provide all services in English – will maintain this recognition. For the full list of these establishments and installations, see annex below.

Access programs

The system for access programs will change. Santé Québec will create a single access program, instead of each establishment creating its own access program (s. 415). This program will identify which services in which establishments are available in English. The access program must be approved by the government and revised every five years.

It is unclear how this change will be deployed in practice, but the English-speaking community is concerned that more centralized decision-making will be less responsive to local needs. This is a particular concern in areas with fewer English-speakers, especially outside of Montreal. The fear is that, with centralization, the majority language will receive disproportionate weight in decision-making, at the expense of minority language needs.

New power to remove recognition

Under Bill 15 reforms, Santé Québec is empowered to removed recognition of an English-language health institution under s. 29.1 of the CFL. This power threatens to destabilize access to healthcare in English. The main condition is that designation can be removed if the population serviced by the institution does not include a majority of English speakers. It is unclear how this determination will be made, but it is a concern in areas with fewer English speakers. In response to these concerns, an amendment added a condition toremoving bilingual status: the approval of the national committee on the provision of health and social services in English, and the approval of two-thirds of the members of the relevant regional committee composed by at least seven representatives of the English-speaking community (see s. 1519 of Bill 15).

The community speaks out: some contested reforms have been avoided

New healthcare directive

The Quebec government published a healthcare directive in July 2024 that would have required proof of eligibility for schooling in English in order to obtain healthcare services in English. Quebec’s English-speaking community immediately pushed back due to it being onerous and exclusionary. First, not all members of Quebec’s English-speaking community have this eligibility. Second, any requirement for documentation imposes a burden of obtaining the document and remembering to bring it which would risk causing dangerous and unnecessary delays for English speakers, especially for seniors.

In response to criticism, the government published an updated directive in September 2024, which reversed the eligibility requirement: English speakers will not have to provide documentation to receive healthcare in their language; they can merely express their preference.

Foundations and healthcare philanthropy

There was initial concern that Bill 15 would impact healthcare philanthropy, since individual institutions which receive donations would be subsumed into Santé Québec. However, in response to criticism, the government has since confirmed that philanthropy will not be impacted by the reform; the status quo will remain in place.

Other minority language communities

An additional concern is the effect of Bill 15 on other minority-language groups. It is unclear if and how, for instance, the Montreal Chinese Hospital or Santa Cabrini Hospital, will be able to operate in their language. In 2024, there was concern that Santa Cabrini Hospital’s bilingual (French/Italian) status had been lost, as its name no longer appeared on a list of recognized bilingual facilities. However, as of February 2025, the OQLF recognizes the following as bilingual institutions under s. 29.1 CFL:

Santa Cabrini Hospital (Italian)
Montreal Chinese Hospital (Chinese)
CHSLD Dante (Italian)
CHSLD Polonais Marie-Curie Sklodowska (Polish)

New Bill 15 committees

A recurring pattern with introduced committees is that their members are chosen by the board of directors of Santé Québec, leading to centralizing power into the hands of Santé Québec and undermining the independence of the committees. The effect may be to diminish the role and importance of committees.

Bill 15 creates a new national users’ committee. Members are nominated by the board of directors of Santé Québec. Yet, to be representative of users, nomination of members should be based on recommendations of local user committee. According to the Collège des médecins, Bill 15 does not do enough to ensure that the voices of users will truly be heard. This will exacerbate the erosion of democratic citizen participation in the healthcare system.

A new national committee for vigilance and quality will have an oversight mandate over Santé Québec: to ensure that Santé Québec exercises its power in a way that promotes service quality and that respects the rights of users. However, this committee is appointed by Santé Québec, meaning that it will lack the independence needed of an oversight committee. This is another example of how Bill 15 centralizes power to Santé Québec. The Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec recommended that the National Assembly appoint members of this committee.

Overall, Bill 15 may create some new barriers. However, it maintains the right to healthcare in English for English-speaking Quebecers.

If you have further questions about accessing health and social services in English in Quebec, please contact us at justice@talq.ca.

Annex

List of designated healthcare institutions and facilities, which offer all services in English and in French

List of designated public institutions and facilities

Designated public institutions and facilities are grouped according to health and social services region.

Some institutions and facilities are only recognized by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), under article 29.1 of the Charter of the French language. They are identified by the symbol *.

Capitale-Nationale

The only designated institution of the Centre intégréuniversitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale:

Hôpital Jeffery Hale – Saint-Brigid’s

Côte-Nord

The following facilities of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Côte-Nord:

Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux de la Basse-Côte-Nord
CLSC de Blanc-Sablon
CLSC de Chevery
CLSC de Kegaska
CLSC de Mutton Bay
CLSC de Saint-Augustin
CLSC et CHSLD Donald-G.-Hodd
CLSC de La Tabatière
CLSC de Rivière-Saint-Paul
CLSC de Tête-à-la-Baleine

Estrie

The following institutions grouped at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Estrie – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke:

Centre de réadaptation en déficience intellectuelle et en troubles envahissants du développement de l’Estrie
CSSS-IUGS – Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke

Laurentides

The onlydesignated institution grouped at the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux des Laurentides:

La Résidence de Lachute – Laurentides

Laval

The onlydesignated institution grouped at the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval:

Hôpitaljuif de réadaptation – Laval

Montréal

McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)

The following institutions and facilitiesgrouped at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal:

Centre de soins prolongés Grace Dart
Centre d’hébergement Denis-Benjamin-Viger
Centre hospitalier de St. Mary
CLSC de Pierrefonds
CLSC du Lac-Saint-Louis
Hôpitalgénéral du Lakeshore
Institut universitaire de santé mentale Douglas
Les centres de la jeunesse et de la famille Batshaw
*Hôpital Saint-Anne (only recognized by the OQLF)

All the institutions and facilitiesgrouped at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal:

Centre de réadaptation Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay
Centre d’hébergement Father-Dowd
Centre d’hébergement Henri-Bradet
Centre d’hébergement Saint-Andrew
Centre d’hébergement Saint-Margaret
Centre Miriam
Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux de Parc-Extension
CHSLD juif de Montréal
CLSC de Benny Farm
CLSC de Côte-des-Neiges
CLSC et groupe de médecine universitaire Métro
CLSC René-Cassin
Hôpital Catherine-Booth
Hôpital Mont-Sinaï
Hôpital Richardson
Corporation du centre hospitalier gériatrique Maimonides
Hôpital général juif Sir Mortimer B. Davis
Maison de naissance de Côte-des-Neiges

Montérégie

The followingfacilities of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest:

*Centre de réadaptation en dépendance Cavendish/ Cavendish addiction readaptation centre (anciennement Foster) (seulement reconnu par l’OQLF)
*Centre de réadaptation en dépendance de Saint-Philippe/Saint-Philippe Addiction Readaptation Centre (anciennement Foster) (seulement reconnu par l’OQLF)
CHSLD d’Ormstown/Ormstown CHSLD
CHSLD du comté-de-Huntingdon/Huntingdon County CHSLD
*CLSC de Saint-Chrysostome (seulement reconnu par l’OQLF)
*CLSC Huntingdon/Huntingdon CLSC (seulementreconnu par l’OQLF)
Hôpital Barrie Memorial/Barrie Memorial Hospital

Outaouais

The following facilites of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais:

CLSC de Chapeau
CLSC de Mansfield-et-Pontefract
CLSC d’Otter-Lake
CLSC de Quyon
CLSC de Rapides-des-Joachims
CLSC et centre de services externes pour les aînés de Shawville
Hôpital et CHSLD du Pontiac
Hôpital et CHSLD Mémorial de Wakefield/Wakefield Memorial Hospital

List of designated private institutions and facilities

Designated private institutions and facilities are grouped according to health and social services region.

Estrie

Foyer Wales

Lanaudière

CHSLD Heather inc.