A psychologist and a nutritionist have just lost their full-time jobs at the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology of Quebec (IUCPQ), due to budget cuts, denounce their union. The first followed, among others, patients awaiting heart transplants.
Published at 9:00 a.m.
The Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS) deplores that vulnerable patients are paying the price for cuts at the IUCPQ. The psychologist who worked full time followed around thirty patients.
“Management tells us that this is a clientele that it will refer to the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale,” indicates the president of the APTS at the IUCPQ, Sima Jalili Shani.
However, the mental health teams in the CISSS and CIUSSS in Quebec are “not the most staffed,” she points out. “ [Leurs membres] are already struggling to provide service to the population. We are going to unload again in their yard, without knowing if they will be able to provide the service and how long it will take for them to take care of these patients. »
Concerned about the fate of certain patients, the psychologist says she managed to convince the management of the IUCPQ to keep her on the job one day a week for a few months. Psychological health status is taken into account when evaluating a candidacy for a transplant.
I have a patient who may not be eligible [pour une greffe] if I can't follow up on it.
The psychologist, who requested anonymity to preserve the confidentiality of her files
She is sad that her patients are forced to “reestablish a therapeutic link” with another psychologist. She is considering returning to private practice.
“It’s quite absurd that we let a psychologist from the public network leave,” comments Sima Jalili Shani. We know that we have a lot of difficulty attracting and keeping them in the network. »
Not a permanent position
This psychologist – like the nutritionist – held a temporary so-called “additional” position. After completing a maternity leave replacement in 2022, she worked on the pilot project for psychological services in cardiology in 2023.
In an email, the IUCPQ explains that it is “putting an end to certain excesses” as part of “optimization measures to achieve budget balance”.
The IUCPQ says it ensures that the “service offer” to patients is “maintained” and that there is “no disruption in service”.
According to the IUCPQ, the nutritionist found a job in another Santé Québec establishment. The establishment recalls that the psychologist had been hired to replace maternity leave.
“Following the return of the position holder, management had maintained reinforcement with hours that were not budgeted, which had to be revised as part of our commitment to ensuring the financial stability of our organization,” we write .
