Access to specialized care
- Procedure to be followed to get a first appointment with a medical specialist
- The services offered by the Service request dispatch centre (CRDS)
- Axelle: automated CRDS system
How to obtain a first appointment
Before consulting a medical specialist, you must first discuss it with your family doctor. They will be able to assess your state of health. If necessary, they can request a consultation with a medical specialist from the Service request dispatch centre (CRDS).
The CRDS will help you find a specialist and arrange an initial appointment. The time needed for these steps may vary depending on the availability of specialists and your state of health.
If your health deteriorates while waiting for your appointment with the medical specialist
You must book another appointment with your family doctor. They will reassess your state of health. If necessary, they will make a new request to the CRDS. Please note that the CRDS cannot change your priority level for consultation with a medical specialist without the advice of your family doctor.
You don’t have a family doctor
If you do not have a family doctor, you can get an appointment with a professional by:
- Checking the Primary care access point (GAP) page;
- Booking an appointment on the Québec medial appointment scheduler website;
- Going to one of the super-clinics of the Quebec City region;
- Calling Info-Santé 811, option 1. A nurse will assess your state of health and, if necessary, tell you where you can see a doctor.
Services provided by the CRDS
The CRDS monitors requests for the following 26 specialities:
- Cardiology,
- General surgery,
- Plastic surgery,
- Vascular surgery,
- Dermatology,
- Endocrinology,
- Gastroenterology,
- Geriatrics,
- Gynecology,
- Hematology oncology,
- Immunoallergy,
- Internal medicine,
- Microbiology and infectious diseases,
- Nephrology,
- Neurosurgery,
- Neurology,
- Ophthalmology,
- Medical oncology,
- ENT,
- Orthopedics,
- General pediatrics,
- Physiatry,
- Pneumology,
- Psychiatry,
- Rheumatology,
- Urology.
Contact the CRDS
Opening hours and contact details
Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (except public holidays).
- 418 529-0707, extension #3; or 1 844 880-0707 (toll-free).
For more information, please visit:
First consultation with a medical specialist.
Axelle: a new computerized CRDS system to confirm your request
Have you been waiting to see a medical specialist for a year?
Users aged over 18 who have been waiting for an appointment with a medical specialist for more than a year will be able to receive a text message or automated call from the Axelle computerized system. It aims to improve access to specialized services by confirming requests for consultation with a medical specialist. For patients under the age of 18, a call is made to the telephone number on file by a CRDS administrative agent.
Have you received a text message or automated call from Axelle?
You can reply by following the steps mentioned in the text messages you received or during the automated call. This will enable you to confirm your request for an appointment with medical specialists.
You will receive the following message:
Hello, this is Axelle, the automated system at the Service request dispatch centre for specialized services in the Capitale-Nationale region. You are currently waiting for an appointment with a medical specialist. In order to update the waiting list for this specialty in your region, would you agree to answer the following questions? Press 1 for yes / Press 2 for no.
If you indicate that your appointment is no longer required, the doctor will be informed that your request has been cancelled. They may contact the CRDS again if they feel that a consultation is still necessary.
Important: Please note that Axelle or the CRDS will not ask for any personal information and will not send any clickable links by text message.
