Quebec's 811 line now available for pediatric service provincewide

The 811 service has been expanded across the province to redirect calls about pediatric care, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced at a news conference Wednesday. 

Parents anywhere in Quebec can now consult a nurse over the phone about their child's condition and obtain a medical appointment for them if needed. 

The province had initially introduced the service for children in the greater Montreal area and the Outaouais region to help unclog overburdened emergency rooms.

In November, the minister had already hinted that the line would be extended to the rest of the province. 

"Each time we implement it in a region, it makes a difference," Dubé said. "Hopefully, Quebecers will appreciate the work being done by personnel." 

Seven out of 10 calls made to the phone line don't require a visit to the ER, according to the minister.

About 90 additional nurses signed up to help the 300 others currently operating the phone line, which is what made the expansion possible, Dubé said. 

Quebec's recruitment program Je contribue, which launched at the start of the pandemic, will continue to accept volunteers in the new year, he added. 

Earlier this month, the minister said the province needed 3,000 qualified workers to sign up but that it would take up to 5,000 nurses to answer the phones. 

"I'm asking all retired nurses to come help us," he said. "The more people we add, the more calls we're able to field through 811." 

Dubé urged Quebecers to follow public health recommendations with the aim of reducing trips to the ER. 

He maintains that around 10,000 people on average visit an emergency room per day, roughly the same proportion as last year, even as the province faces a number of respiratory viruses going into the holiday season. 

"We have to give [emergency rooms] a hand because we know there's a busy period during the holidays," he said. "If everyone makes an effort … we see that we'll be able to get through this."