Healthcare spending up, but services declining—CSBE report
Commissioner warns Quebec health system's 'long-term viability remains fragile.' Public spending outpaced GDP growth 2015-2023 while service volumes dropped.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Quebec spends more on health care relative to its GDP than it did a decade ago, yet the volume of health services per capita is declining, according to a new report from the province's health and well-being commissioner.
In a report released Thursday, commissioner Joanne Castonguay found that between 2015 and 2023, average growth in public spending on health and social services exceeded growth in government revenues and GDP. Despite this increased spending, "the volume of services per capita in the main health service sectors has declined, and, in general, access to services has not improved."
The report identifies human resource shortages and aging physical infrastructure as core problems. Castonguay warned that without organizational changes, the system's "long-term viability remains fragile" even as budgetary constraints limit the network's ability to meet population needs.
The commissioner notes the system remains "too hospital-centered, ill-equipped for prevention, and insufficiently aligned with other stakeholders—community, municipal, and social—who influence health and well-being on a daily basis."
Castonguay recommends three key initiatives: intensifying the shift toward population health by rebalancing resources toward prevention and community care; improving support for marginalized populations to reduce health inequities; and enhancing the value generated by the system through better coordination and accountability.
The findings come as Quebec grapples with long wait times for family doctors, emergency department backlogs, and ongoing pressures on frontline health workers.