FAQ
The ombudsman is not an advocate for either the person making a complaint or the hospital. The ombudsman is a neutral, impartial and independent third party. The goal of an ombudsman is to improve patient care and services and ensure the respect of patient rights.
Yes. The ombudsman can assist patients and their families when they are having difficulty without having to go through a complaint process.
- Allan Memorial Ambulatory Care Centre
- Glen site (all adult services, including Royal Victoria Hospital)
- Lachine Hospital
- Long-term care Camille-Lefebvre CHSLD
- Montreal Children's Hospital
- Montreal Children’s Hospital Gilman Pavilion
- Montreal General Hospital
- MUHC Adult Ophthalmology Clinic
- MUHC Reproductive Centre
- OPTILAB laboratories
- The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Hospital-Institute)
Outpatient clinics associated with other institutions are not (with some exceptions through an agreement), under the jurisdiction of the MUHC.
- Patients
- Representatives of patients
- Heirs to a deceased patient
No. However, it is easier to gather information when there is a complaint soon after the event. It may be difficult, or sometimes impossible, to investigate a complaint about an event that happened several years ago.
Filing a complaint can help improve the quality of health care and social services. It is important to note that filing a complaint does not entitle a person to financial compensation.
First contact the department or service manager.
If the manager's follow-up does not resolve your concerns, then contact the ombudsman.
First discuss the issue with your doctor. If the response you receive from your doctor is not satisfactory, you can file a complaint with the Ombudsman’s office.
The ombudsman will transfer your complaint to the medical examiner.
Yes. Our office will take some time to assist you in preparing your complaint.
If you need more time, there is also a regional community organization that can assist and support you in this process. It is called the Centre d'Assistance et d'Accompagnement aux Complaints (CAAP). CAAP is mandated by the Ministry of Health and Social Services to assist and support you in filing a complaint and it is a free service.
The Ombudsman is mandated to examine complaints and make recommendations, assist, intervene and provide consultation.
The Users' (Patients’) Committee is a group of elected volunteers dedicated to helping people who seek care and services.
A person is assigned to your file. That person analyzes the complaint and contacts you if necessary.
The investigation includes, among other elements:
- the patient’s medical file
- communication with the people involved
- documentation relating to the complaint (ex.: protocols, literature, etc.)
The law respecting health services and social services stipulates that a conclusion should be issued within 45 days. The Ombudsman’s Office aims to respect this delay. However, how long it takes to issue a conclusion depends on the nature of your complaint and how many files the office receives.
Yes. However, during the investigation, some information is sent to relevant individuals to examine the complaint.
Important: The complaint file is separate from the medical file and documents from a complaint file cannot be used in legal proceedings.
No one is allowed to retaliate against anyone who makes a complaint. If you believe you are a victim of reprisal, please contact the Ombudsman’s Office as soon as possible. Please keep in mind we can help you even if you don’t make a formal complaint.
If you are not satisfied with the local ombudsman's response, you can contact the Protecteur du citoyen.
If you are not satisfied with the medical examiner's response, you can appeal to the review committee.
Yes. Most patients over the age of 14 have the right to access their medical file. You can submit your request directly to the Access to Information Office.
Note: Access to the file belonging to a deceased patient is subject to certain criteria.
Yes. The decision is made after an assessment by the healthcare team, which considers your mobility, general condition and need for acute care. This obligation to leave the institution after being discharged is clearly defined in section 14 of the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services:
No institution may cease to lodge a user who has been discharged unless his condition allows his return home or his integration into a home, or unless his admission to another institution or any of its intermediate resources or to a family-type resource is assured and the services required by his condition will be provided to him by such institution or resource.
Subject to the first paragraph, a user must leave the institution where he is an in-patient immediately upon being discharged in accordance with the provisions of the regulation made under subparagraph 28 of the first paragraph of section 505.
If you have any concerns or questions about a pending discharge from the hospital, please share them with the healthcare team.
The Ombudsman’s office is not able to give you an appointment, but we can assist you if you encounter obstacles.
You can make your request directly with your physician or another member of the healthcare team. You can contact the ombudsman’s office for assistance with this request if need be, but please note that the ability to change physicians is dependent on the service having the capacity to do so and is not guaranteed.
The MUHC is obliged to bill uninsured patients in accordance with ministerial directives. Find more information on the Patient Accounts page.