Seniors experiencing a loss of autonomy
Options in the event of problems with a health or social services professional
Are you unsatisfied with the health care provided? Do you believe your rights weren’t respected? These are some of your options if you’ve had a problem with a health or social services professional.
Filing a complaint against a professional in the public system
To file a complaint against a professional in the public health and social services system, contact the service quality and complaints commissioner of the institution involved. Your complaint can be verbal or in writing.
The commissioner will examine your case and inform you of their conclusions within 45 days.
If you aren’t satisfied with the commissioner’s conclusions, you can contact the Québec Ombudsman, who will have 60 days to examine your complaint.
The steps can vary for complaints concerning a doctor, dentist or pharmacist. However, the complaints commissioner will receive your complaint in all of these situations and let you know the outcome.
Organizations to assist you
Every institution in the health and social services system has a users’ committee. The committee’s functions include providing information about your rights and helping you file a complaint with the commissioner or the Québec Ombudsman.
The Centres d’assistance et d’accompagnement aux plaintes (CAAP or complaint assistance and support centres) can also be helpful. Their services are free and confidential, and they can answer your questions and help direct your complaint to the right place if necessary.
Filing a complaint against a professional in the private system
If you run into a problem with a professional in the private system, begin by checking whether the institution where the professional practises is connected to the public health and social services system by an agreement (for example, a privately funded long-term care facility). If you wish to file a complaint in this situation, you must follow the same steps as for public institutions.
If no such agreement exists, begin by speaking to the people in charge of the institution where the professional practises. If you can’t reach a satisfactory solution with them, you can then file a complaint with the syndic of the appropriate professional order.
Filing a complaint with a professional order
Most health professionals belong to a professional order.
If you have a problem, you can file a complaint against a professional by contacting their professional order. The syndic of the professional order will handle your complaint. It will carry out an investigation and decide whether to forward the complaint to the disciplinary board of the professional order. If the complaint is forwarded to the disciplinary board, the board will make a decision and determine any appropriate consequences.
List of professional orders you can contact to file a complaint:
- Chiropractors: How to File a Complaint (Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec)
- Occupational therapists: Porter plainte contre un ergothérapeute - French only (Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec)
- Nurses: Public Protection (Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec)
- Nursing assistants: Comment porter plainte - French only (Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec)
- Respiratory therapists: Porter plainte - French only (Ordre professionnel des inhalothérapeutes du Québec)
- Doctors: Making a Report (Collège des médecins du Québec) / The Responsibility of Doctors for Mistakes (Éducaloi)
- Opticians: Protéger le public - French only (Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances du Québec)
- Optometrists: Plaintes et recours - French only (Ordre des optométristes du Québec)
- Speech therapists and audiologists: Comment porter plainte ? - French only (Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec)
- Pharmacists: Porter plainte - French only (Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec)
- Physiotherapists: Protecting the Public (Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec)
- Podiatrists: Protection du public - French only (Ordre des podiatres du Québec)
- Psychologists: When Should I Make a Complaint? (Ordre des psychologues du Québec)
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The information presented on this page is not a legal opinion or legal advice. This page explains in a general way the law that applies in Quebec. To obtain a legal opinion or legal advice on your personal situation, consult a legal professional.