In July 2026, Quebec health authorities reported that specialist physicians continued to move between the public health network and private practice despite legislation intended to curb such transitions. Santé Québec issued 121 temporary disaffiliation authorizations affecting 71 distinct specialist doctors, while only one request for disaffiliation was denied.
The temporary authorizations allow physicians to suspend their affiliation with the public system for a limited period, enabling them to provide services in private clinics before returning to public hospitals. The data released by Santé Québec shows that the majority of requests were approved, indicating ongoing demand for flexibility among specialists.
The regulatory framework behind these authorizations stems from a law adopted in April 2025. That legislation was introduced to limit the frequency with which specialist doctors could alternate between public and private sectors, aiming to reduce disruptions in patient care and to maintain staffing stability in public hospitals. The law requires physicians to obtain a temporary disaffiliation authorization before leaving the public system for private work, and it sets criteria for approval and duration of such authorizations.
In the month under review, the 71 specialists who received authorizations represented a range of medical fields, although the specific specialties were not disclosed. The single denied request suggests that the criteria for approval are being applied, but the overall volume of authorizations indicates that many doctors are still seeking to balance work in both sectors.
The continued movement of specialists highlights the challenges faced by Quebec’s health system in reconciling the goals of the 2025 law with the professional and financial considerations of physicians. Santé Québec’s monitoring of temporary disaffiliation requests provides a mechanism for oversight, but the data also shows that the back‑and‑forth between public and private care remains a notable feature of the province’s healthcare landscape.
The situation will likely be reviewed as the province assesses the impact of the 2025 legislation on both healthcare delivery and physician practice patterns.