RPCU

Historical background

The inception of the RPCU began due to the initiative of the Users’ Committees of the University of Montreal Centre (CHUM) supported by the determination of approximately 20 other Users’ Committees from various Quebec regions.

The first mandate of this Provisional Committee was to create a group of Users’ Committees from those who were already operating in short term stay hospitals. The original re-grouping of Users’ Committees received its letters of patent and officially exist since 2004, in conformity with the third part (partie III) of the law on companies.

A preliminary meeting was held on June 13th 2003 and gave way to a Provisional Committee made up of representatives from these following establishments:

• le Centre hospitalier Anna-Laberge;
  
• le Centre hospitalier Pierre-Le Gardeur;
  
• le Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec;
  
• le Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal;
  
• le Centre hospitalier des vallées de l’Outaouais;
  
• le Centre de santé et de services sociaux Cléophas-Claveau;
  
• le Centre universitaire de santé McGill;
  
• l’Hôpital Laval;
  
• l’Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal;
  
• l’Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska.

Health Care System Reorganisation

At the same time, the Quebec Government was reorganising the Quebec Health System. In 2003, it passed  Bill # 25 (law concerning the development of local networks of Health and Social Services by instituting Agencies, L.R.O., 2005, C.A -8-1). This gave birth to local networks of Health and Social Services and to the setting up of 95 Centres of Health and Social Services in Quebec.

Then, in November 2005, the General Assembly adopted a proposed Bill # 83 (law which modified the previous law on Health and Social Services and other legislative provisions, L.R.Q., 2005, c.32) which in turn modified the organisational structure of the Users’ and In-patients’ Committees across the Quebec territory.

As a consequence of this reorganisation, the Provisional Committee adopted its own mandate and worked towards the creation of a grouping of all Users’ and In-patients’ Committees in all the Health and Social Services establishments whatever their individual callings.

In order to accomplish this, the Committee ensured the participation of all the different representatives of all callings to sit on the Board of Directors.

• The affiliated Hospitals
  
• The university-based Hospitals
  
• The Psychiatric Hospitals
  
• The Youth Centers
  
• The Center for the Rehabilitation of Intellectually Impaired
  
• The Center for the Rehabilitation of the Physically Impaired
  
•  Rehabilitation Centers (alcohol, drugs, medications and gambling)
  
• The Health and Social Services Centers.