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Info-Santé 811: what it is, and what calls for 911

Q: Why doesn't 811 work?

The Québec.ca page Info-Social 811 gives three cases. The service is reachable from a landline or a cell phone with a Quebec number, and a person who is outside Quebec cannot call. The service is not offered in Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James or Nunavik. For the rest, the page says: "If dialling 811 does not work, contact your telephone service provider."

Q: Is 811 available 24 hours?

Yes for Info-Santé and Info-Social. The Québec.ca page Info-Santé 811 puts it this way: "The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." Option 3 is the exception: the telephone help line of the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne closes at 8 p.m. on weekdays and at 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

811 brings together Info-Santé, Info-Social and the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne. Who answers, at what hours, and how it differs from 911, according to Québec.ca.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

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Info-Santé 811 is a free and confidential telephone consultation service of the Quebec health network, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to Québec.ca. It is not 911: assigning a paramedic (primary care paramedic) falls to another body, the health communication centre. This text describes the service based on the official pages and gives no health advice. In an emergency, dial 911.

Three options at the same number

The Québec.ca page Info-Santé 811, updated on December 7, 2022, presents 811 under the heading "811: three options for different needs".

Option	Service	Who answers, according to Québec.ca
811, option 1	Info-Santé for health advice	A nurse
811, option 2	Info-Social for psychosocial advice	A psychosocial intervention professional
811, option 3	Guichet d'accès à la première ligne (the front-line access point)	A nurse, according to the Info-Santé 811 page. Attendants, according to the Guichet page

The same page announces a priority line for parents of children aged 0 to 17, at 811, option 1. Québec.ca writes that this line "offers a faster response that may result in an appointment with a health professional".

Info-Santé, option 1

Québec.ca describes the role of the nurses in one sentence: they "assess and make recommendations based on your state of health". They can also refer the person to a resource in their area.

Anyone who resides in Quebec can call, for themselves or for a loved one. A call lasts 12 to 16 minutes on average, according to the page. It goes through 3 or 4 steps.

The nurse collects some personal information
She assesses the need
She responds to the need
She refers to an appropriate resource, if necessary

The information requested is first and last name, date of birth, postal code and telephone number. Québec.ca specifies that it remains confidential and that providing it is not mandatory.

Info-Social, option 2

The Québec.ca page Info-Social 811, updated on January 9, 2020, describes a free and confidential service, also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A psychosocial intervention professional answers. They can refer the person to a resource in the health and social services network or to a community resource.

The Guichet d'accès à la première ligne, option 3

The Guichet d'accès à la première ligne (GAP) is for people who have no family doctor and no specialized nurse practitioner in front-line care. The Guichet page, updated on April 21, 2026, adds people followed by a family medicine group.

The Guichet has an online service. 811, option 3, is the telephone help line for those who need help filling out the digital form. This help line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Option 3 is therefore not open 24 hours a day, unlike options 1 and 2.

A Guichet worker then calls the person back. The Guichet makes up to three attempts to reach them. Callback hours vary from region to region and are listed on the page.

Language, accessibility, territory

Québec.ca writes that the English-speaking population can get an answer in English. People who are hard of hearing can use a telephone relay service to reach Info-Santé or Info-Social.

811 leads to the service of the caller's region. Info-Santé and Info-Social are offered in every region of Quebec, except Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James and Nunavik.

811 is not 911

Québec.ca draws the line this way: "Dialling 811, option 1 lets you quickly reach a nurse for a non-urgent health problem. However, for a serious problem or an urgent need, it is important to dial 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room."

The two numbers lead to two separate organizations. 811 is a nursing and psychosocial service of the health network. The ambulance falls to the health communication centre. Section 22 of the Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services (chapter S-6.2) gives it the functions of receiving calls from a 911 emergency centre, processing and prioritizing them, then "assigning and dispatching the available pre-hospital resources". 811 does not appear in this section. This text is not legal advice.

Also read: the job of 911 dispatcher and the cost of an ambulance transport.

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Frequently asked questions

When should you call 811?

Québec.ca answers in these words: "Dialling 811, option 1 lets you quickly reach a nurse for a non-urgent health problem. However, for a serious problem or an urgent need, it is important to dial 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room." The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In an emergency, dial 911.

What is 811 option 3?

It is the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne. Québec.ca writes that this line is reserved for people without a family doctor. The telephone help line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Why doesn't 811 work?

The Québec.ca page Info-Social 811 gives three cases. The service is reachable from a landline or a cell phone with a Quebec number, and a person who is outside Quebec cannot call. The service is not offered in Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James or Nunavik. For the rest, the page says: "If dialling 811 does not work, contact your telephone service provider."

How do you get an appointment without a family doctor?

Québec.ca refers to the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne. The request is made online or through the 811, option 3 telephone help line, then a Guichet worker calls back. According to the page, they can help find an appointment if a consultation with a health professional seems necessary.

What service does 811 offer?

811 brings together three services, according to Québec.ca: Info-Santé for health advice at option 1, Info-Social for psychosocial advice at option 2 and the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne at option 3. A nurse answers at option 1 and a psychosocial intervention professional at option 2. The service is free and confidential.

Is 811 available 24 hours?

Yes for Info-Santé and Info-Social. The Québec.ca page Info-Santé 811 puts it this way: "The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." Option 3 is the exception: the telephone help line of the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne closes at 8 p.m. on weekdays and at 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Who should you call for a health problem?

Québec.ca answers with two numbers: "Dialling 811, option 1 lets you quickly reach a nurse for a non-urgent health problem. However, for a serious problem or an urgent need, it is important to dial 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room." Anyone who resides in Quebec can call 811, for themselves or for a loved one. This text gives no health advice.