WHY AND HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT?

You can file a complaint if you are dissatisfied with the services, if you believe that you have been treated incorrectly or if an institution within the Health and Social Services network has violated your rights as a user.

You can file your complaint with the Complaint Examination System in the Health and Social Services and be assisted by the person of your choice and by the experienced personnel at the CAAP-GÎM.

There are various reasons for filing a complaint. The following list provides some examples:

• Problems concerning accessibility and continuity of services
  
  Delays, refusal of service, transportation, premature discharge, lack of follow-up, inappropriate guidance, inadequate services, instability of the personnel, lack of services or programs, linguistic accessibility, choice of a professional or institution.
  

• Problems pertaining to the “scientific” aspects of the care and services provided
  
  Technical and professional abilities, professional assessment and judgment, approach, contention, medication, isolation, physical care, medical assistance, inappropriate procedures, malfunctioning.
  

• Interpersonal relationships
  
  Respect; lack of empathy; intimacy; absence of a personalized, confidential and safe relationship; inability to keep and to increase autonomy; communication within the surroundings; violence or abuse.
  

• Problems concerning material resources and facilities
  
  Food (quality, quantity, variety); the diversity of the clientele; hygiene and healthiness; cleanliness of the premises; spatial organization (signs, adaptation of the premises, distribution of rooms); comfort and convenience (choice of rooms, décor, layout, personal services, telephone, quality of the air, noise); activities and day-to-day life; rules and procedures; safety and protection (for individuals and for personal belongings); equipment and facilities (quality, availability, mechanical breakdowns).
  

• Financial aspects
  
  Hospital account; ambulance account; lodging expenses; allowance for personal expenses; allowance to cover certain services or to participate in certain programs; contribution to residential placement; fees related to certain goods and services (television, hairdresser, laundry, telephone); medication fees; claims for loss or theft; parking fees; financial and material assistance.
  

• Rights of Users
  
  • the right to information about the services and resources in regard to Health and Social Services that are available within the community, as well as how to access those services and resources;
  
  • the right to receive, with continuity and in a personalized and safe manner, health services and social services which are scientifically, humanly and socially appropriate, in respect to the resources that are available;
  
  • the right to choose the professional or the institution who will provide the services, taking into account the organization of the services and resources that are available at that institution;
  
  • the right to be informed about your state of health and welfare, the possible options given your state of health, the risks and consequences associated with each option before you give your consent;
  
  • the right to consent or to refuse care;
  
  • the right to participate in all decisions concerning your situation;
  
  • the right to receive appropriate care in an emergency;
  
  • the right to be accompanied or assisted by a person of your choice either when you wish to obtain information about the services that are offered or in the course of a complaint process;
  
  • the right to have access to your user file;
  
  • the right to English language services for English-speaking individuals, providing that access to these programs are available within the region;
  
  • the right to recourse on the grounds of professional or other misconduct.

Other laws that have a bearing on the Complaint Review System include the Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services, the Civil Code, the Youth Protection Act, and the Act respecting the Protection of persons whose mental state presents a danger to themselves or to others.

Complaint examination (pdf)