Full library

In Canada, health and language are both areas of shared jurisdiction. People have high expectations that the federal government will take on a leadership role in protecting thelanguag e rights of the Canadian population when it comes to health care. In a context where the various levels of government are working to build a stronger Canada, every Canadian should be able to receive health services in the official language of their choice. In this report, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages outlines the findings resulting from a series of public hearings held over 18 months on the theme of access to health care services in the minority language. In total, 121 witnesses and 36 written submissions led the Senate Committee to make 14 recommendations. The recommendations focus on reducing language barriers in health care. This report is directed at various federal ministers and partners in an effort to ensure equitable, safe and quality care. It advocates for the right of health system users to receive services in a language they understand and in which they would like to be understood. Accordingly, this approach would lead to improved health outcomes. The Senate Committee notes that health inequities come at a cost, and official language minority communities are often the ones paying the price. The lack of planning across the health care services continuum is partly responsible for these poor outcomes. However, the federal government could set the standard of offering a full range of services in the official language of choice in all care settings and at all stages of life. Of course, this would require continued collaboration with all its partners. Note: This report summarizes the evidence heard and the written submissions received between April 2023 and November 2024, but it does not address all the developments that have taken place in the public and political spheres since then. However, the findings and recommendations in this report are still relevant in the current context.