The impending closure of Hudson, Quebec’s sole family medicine clinic is a significant setback for the community, which came together over several years to establish it. Frank Royle, a Hudson native, collaborated with concerned citizens and physicians for over six years to secure the property for the two-story brick health facility in the small town northwest of Montreal. The land for the clinic was purchased in 2008 by Royle and a group of residents. Since its opening in 2011, the center has played a crucial role in providing top-notch family medicine services to the local residents.
However, the Hudson Medical Centre is now facing closure by 2026 due to Quebec’s Bill 2. Dr. Tara McCarty, a family doctor and co-owner of the clinic, confirmed that the center will shut down on April 1, 2026, as three out of the seven practicing doctors have decided to leave Quebec in response to the new law.
The legislation, effective since October 25, links doctors’ salaries to performance indicators like the number of patients served and their level of vulnerability. The rushed adoption of Bill 2 by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government has put various clinics at risk of closure, including the GMF-R Le Trait d’Union family medicine clinic in Delson, Quebec.
The closure of the Hudson Medical Centre will have a significant impact on its approximately 11,000 patients, most of whom are English speakers. Dr. McCarty highlighted that the clinic is the only bilingual GMF in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, catering to a diverse patient population.
Concerns were raised at the National Assembly by Marie-Claude Nichols, MNA for Vaudreuil, regarding the closure of GMFs as doctors plan to leave the province due to the bill. Health Minister Christian Dubé emphasized the importance of doctors having updated information before making critical decisions.
Frank Royle emphasized that the closure of the Hudson Medical Centre would not only result in the departure of medical professionals but also force residents with limited mobility to seek medical care elsewhere. The clinic’s shutdown will particularly affect the elderly population, who heavily rely on the convenient access to healthcare services provided by the center.
Each patient at the Hudson Medical Centre will receive direct communication from their family doctor regarding their future practice locations and steps to ensure continuity of care.