Complaints and Concerns

I am concerned with the clinical care my doctor provided. For example, you do not think your diagnosis was correct or you do not think the care and treatment you received was the right care and treatment.

I am concerned about the clinical care a doctor provided my family member and I have legal authority to act as their representative. The investigator will ask you to provide a copy of your relative’s Will, Power of Attorney or other appropriate document that gives you authority to provide consent to access your relative’s medical record.

I think I was touched inappropriately by my doctor. If you think you experienced sexual abuse by an Ontario doctor, we urge you to contact us at 1-800-268-7096, ext. 629. An experienced social worker is available to answer your questions or help you through the complaints process.

Before you make a complaint

• Speak to the patient experience representative from the hospital where you or your loved one received care.
• Speak to the administration from the Family Health Team where your physician practices.
• Get in touch with the Ontario Patient Ombudsman. The Patient Ombudsman’s role is to respond to and help resolve complaints from current or former patients or their caregivers about their care or experiences with public hospitals, long-term care homes, and home and community care support service organizations.
• If your complaint is about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), please contact the Office of the Chief Coroner first, where appropriate.

You should consider these avenues, where appropriate, before contacting CPSO. If it isn’t possible, or you’ve tried without success to get your issue resolved, you can speak to us at 416-967-2603 or 1-800-268-7096 ext. 603.

What if I've been sexually abused by my doctor?

Coming forward with a complaint about sexual abuse can be very difficult. We can help you with:

• Providing you with support through our Intake Coordinator, who has specialized training in sexual abuse and can answer questions you may have.
• Information to help you decide whether you wish to file a formal sexual abuse complaint against your doctor.
• A list of community resources in Ontario for victims of sexual abuse.

What happens with my complaint?

1. We notify the doctor of the complaint.
2. An investigator gathers information about the issues you raised. Their goal is to try to answer questions, address concerns, and clear up any misunderstandings between you and the doctor.
3. Your doctor responds to the complaint.
4. The investigator then submits a report to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee. You and the doctor will receive a copy of the Committee’s decision and its reasons.
5. The College may:
   • Take no further action.
   • Advise the doctor on how to improve their practice or conduct, or require remedial self-study.
   • Have the doctor agree through a document, called an “undertaking,” that they will improve or restrict their practice.
   • Order the doctor to take specific courses to improve their skills or practice.
   • Issue a verbal caution.
   • Refer the concerns about the doctor to the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal.

Is there a time limit to filing a complaint?

No, there is no time limit. However, physicians are only required to keep adult patients’ files for 10 years. The more time that has passed since the incident(s) in question, the more difficult investigation and resolution become. We strongly recommend you contact us as soon as possible after the event. By doing so, it becomes more likely that:

• Relevant documents will still exist;
• We’ll have a better chance of locating witnesses;
• Memories have not faded; and
• Evidence is not missing.

Code of conduct

We are committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional and civil manner. We expect the same courtesy from you.

We understand that your circumstances may be stressful and navigating our health system can be frustrating. However, we will not accept abusive behaviour towards our staff, including threats, vexatious or intimidating conduct, sexual harassment, yelling or screaming, or obscene, racist or discriminatory statements.

The law requires the CPSO to protect its staff from abusive behaviour. Repeated conduct of this kind may result in the CPSO communicating with you only in writing or otherwise restricting future communications with you.