Quebec announces ‘vision’ to assign every resident to CLSC to improve access to primary health care

Every Quebecer will now be affiliated with a CLSC in their area to ensure care is close to home, according to Health Minister Sonia Bélanger.

Every Quebecer will now be affiliated with a local community service centre (CLSC) in their area to ensure care is close to home, according to Health Minister Sonia Bélanger.

The minister made the announcement Friday morning as she unveiled the government’s policy on primary care and services.

“To bring our vision of community-based primary care to life, we will ensure that CLSCs can once again serve as a physical gateway to primary care for everyone who needs it,” Bélanger said at a press conference, adding that “CLSCs are a source of pride for Quebec and a founding principle of our public system.”

As for what will actually change in terms of access to care at CLSCs, Bélanger struggled to provide a clear answer, as Santé Québec is responsible for implementing the changes, and the Health Ministry is primarily announcing a vision.

A patient who usually goes to the emergency room for health issues will likely not be able to pivot to a CLSC to be treated quickly.

At best, they will be assessed and referred to another health care facility.

For psychosocial issues, Bélanger said that CLSCs will be there to support people.

“The GMFs will be there to provide care, both by appointment and walk-in. CLSCs are a different matter. Generally speaking, a CLSC is a local community service centre. Let’s not forget that. It is not an emergency clinic. A CLSC is truly there to organize primary health care, mental health, home support, youth services, maternal and child health, and so on,” Bélanger explained.

Ever since they opened in the 1970s, doctors have shunned CLSCs.

Even today, there are few doctors in CLSCs, in favour of family medicine groups (GMFs).

“When it comes to rural areas, it’s possible that some doctors — since there are no GMFs there — will set up practice at the CLSC, and we’ll welcome that. In urban areas, it might be different,” Bélanger said.

In a news release on Friday, the Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers du Québec (RPCU) said it believes the government’s intention is good but criticizes the timeline it has set for itself.

“Users of the health care system cannot afford to wait a full decade before seeing concrete results,” the group said.

The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) said it welcomes the intention to give CLSCs a central role in reception, referral and coordination of services.

However, it questions how the government’s objectives will be achieved.

“CLSCs must not simply become a new point of access,” said President Julie Bouchard in a press release. “If we merely refer patients to family medicine groups (GMFs) or redirect them to self-care, we lose the essence of this new vision.”

Comments by the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) were mostly laudatory.

“If we had been asked to draft a policy on primary care and services, we would have struggled to do better. Of course, we still have many questions regarding the implementation of this bold vision, but at this stage, it is important first to recognize the richness of the guidelines set forth,” wrote OIIQ President Luc Mathieu.

Eight new IPS clinics

In addition, within five years, the government says it aims to add about 100 “integrated entry points” for a total of 205 across all regions of Quebec.

Currently, 88 of them are available in nine regions.

Bélanger also announced the rollout of eight new IPS clinics in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Laurentians, Gaspésie, Montérégie-Ouest, Lanaudière and Bellechasse-Sud regions, as well as in the Eastern Townships and Montreal.

By 2030, she said there will be 26 IPS clinics in Quebec.

At the same time, Bélanger indicated that the Votre santé platform would soon be rolled out on a larger scale across Quebec.

For now, two Votre santé pilot projects have been launched in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and the municipality of Saint-Donat.

“We are well aware that some citizens prefer to use digital or telephone entry points. That is why I am announcing that we will roll out Votre santé, which has already been launched in two regions and will soon become the sole user-friendly and efficient digital portal for all of Quebec,” said Bélanger.

“Votre santé is a platform that brings together all online services, including Carnet santé, Clic santé, and Rendez-Vous santé, as well as a technological tool for self-care.”

The rollout of the Votre santé platform was an election promise made by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2022, which at the time described it as a “true revolution” that would allow Quebecers to “schedule a medical appointment in person or via telehealth in a single, simple, and easy step.”

The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 27, 2026.