Patient safety: Le Groupe Vigilance pour la Sécurité des Soins: a Québec perspective.

2000, following a series of tragic adverse events, the Quebec Health and Social Services Minister, Madame Pauline Marois, set up a committee to study adverse events in the province. Under the chairmanship of Mr. Jean Francœur, first Health and Social Services Ombudsman, the committee made a series of recommendations concerning all aspects of patient safety and including leadership, information to patients, research, management of healthcare facilities, risk management, accreditation and competency (Comité ministériel sur les accidents évitables dans la prestation des soins de santé 2001). The first offshoot of the report was the creation in September 2001 of the Groupe national d’aide à la gestion des risques et à la qualité, forerunner of the current Groupe Vigilance pour la sécurité des soins. The second was the unanimous adoption of Bill 113 (L.Q. 2002, c. 71), as it is commonly known, by the Quebec National Assembly in December 2002 (Québec National Assembly 2002) (see text box). The provisions of the bill are fully integrated in the Quebec Health Act (Gouvernement du Québec 2005). BILL 113 Bill 113 defines healthcare facilities’ obligations on disclosure of accidents, declaration of accidents and incidents, allowance for support measures to patients, their families and healthcare workers involved in the accident, creation of a riskand qualitymanagement committee, accreditation on patient safety, quality and risk management and the development of a local registry. It also mandates the regional development of health services and social services agencies. As well, the Ministry is mandated to ensure the safe provision of health services and social services. The Bill also makes provision for a province-wide registry of incidents and accidents.