The main group representing the interests of patients and users of Quebec's health and social services network is looking back on this year with both praise and criticism for the Couillard government.
The Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers, or RPCU, is applauding the $630 million in funding over five years being added to healthcare, announced in November, as well as millions of dollars being spent to modernize several hospitals, including the St. Mary's and Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospitals in Montreal.
It also commends Health Minister Gaetan Barrette for his negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry over the cost of generic drugs, which netted savings of $330 million.
However, there were several issues the RPCU saw in 2017, many stemming from the province not meetings its own goals to reform the healthcare industry.
Among the shortcomings it reported, the patients and users group said the province had not met its targets for ensuring access to a family doctor in some areas, and half of the promised super-clinics had yet to be established.
It also noted that "social services still seem to be the poor cousin of the health network."
Victims of the spring flooding in 2017 were also left in the lurch, it noted, and had difficulty accessing health care during the crisis.