I hope you are all doing well and that 2025 is off to a good start. With the launch of Santé Québec this past December and the ongoing challenges in our healthcare system, I wanted to discuss a critical topic: the importance of filing complaints. Most of us can recall a situation when the healthcare system’s operations or culture has affected the quality of care received, for ourselves or our loved ones. If this rings true to you, I encourage you to continue reading.
Your rights as a healthcare user
As a healthcare user in Queébec, you are entitled to a set of rights designed to protect your dignity and ensure the quality of care. These include:
- Right to services: You have the right to receive healthcare and social services when you need them, regardless of your financial situation or other factors.
- Right to be informed: Healthcare users have the right to clear and complete information about their condition, the available treatment options, and the associated risks and benefits.
- Right to participate: You are entitled to be actively involved in decisions regarding your care.
- Right to choose: Within the limits of the system, you can choose the professional or institution providing your care.
- Right to complain: If you are dissatisfied with the care or services you received, you have the right to file a complaint without fear of reprisal.
There is a formal system in place to ensure these rights are upheld and that issues are addressed transparently. To learn more, visit the Québec government’s official page about the complaints examination system.
Why it is crucial to complain
Filing a formal complaint is one of the most effective ways to drive change within the healthcare system. Here’s why:
- You’re not alone: Chances are, your experience reflects systemic issues that many others have encountered. By speaking up, you amplify the collective voice of patients.
- Supporting healthcare workers: While it might seem unexpected, filing a complaint can help healthcare workers. Many issues stem from a lack of resources rather than individual failures. Your complaint can highlight these gaps, justify calls for improvements and lead to positive changes.
- Driving accountability: Complaints serve as a formal record of dissatisfaction, pushing institutions to address shortcomings and improve their operations.
Where to start
If you are not satisfied with the care or services you’ve received, the first step is to address your concerns directly with someone in charge of the establishment. Sometimes, a simple conversation can resolve the issue on the spot.
If this approach doesn’t lead to results or is not possible, you can escalate your complaint. Contact the Commissaire aux plaintes et à la qualité des services (Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner) of the health and social services the establishment you visited. The Commissioner is responsible for examining complaints and ensuring that appropriate actions are taken.
Where to get help
Navigating the complaint process can be intimidating, but there are organizations and people available to help with the process. Don’t hesistate to reach out for help to any of the following resources:
- Users’ committees: These committees exist to protect the rights of healthcare users and can provide guidance.
- Centres d’Aide et d’Accompagnement aux Plaintes (CAAP): These regional centres specialize in helping users file complaints and navigate the system. In the Greater Québec City region, ours is the CAAP Capitale-Nationale.
- Well 50+ Program Coordinator: I am here to help by answering questions, providing moral support or assisting with paperwork.
Making a formal complaint might feel like a daunting task, but it’s a vital step in ensuring that the healthcare system meets the needs of everyone who relies on it. Even if, in the end, it’s not you who benefits from the changes, someone else will. By standing up for your rights and advocating for change, you are contributing to a system that better serves both patients and healthcare workers.
Your voice matters!
Anaïs