In health and social services, the Protecteur du citoyen can intervene two ways:
I want to file a complaint for myself or a friend or family member
As a rule, we act at the second level. First you have to contact the service quality and complaints commissioner of the health institution concerned.
I want to report a situation that I witnessed
Have you seen a situation that worries you in the health and social services network? Do you feel that service users’ rights have been breached?
Can we handle your complaint?
If you contacted the service quality and complaints commissioner of the institution concerned.
We can handle your complaint at the second level :
- If you are dissatisfied with the service quality and complaints commissioner’s decision or if you have not heard back within 45 days.
- And if your problem concerns a health and social services institution such as :
- a hospital centre;
- a local community service centre (CLSC);
- a private seniors’ residence (RPA);
- a residential and long-term care centre (CHSLD);
- a youth centre;
- an integrated health and social services centre (CISSS);
- an integrated university health and social services centre (CIUSSS);
- a health and social services centre (CSSS);
- a rehabilitation centre;
- an intermediate or family-type resource (RI or RTF);
- a reception centre (substance abuse, gambling, disabilities);
- a community organization within the meaning of the Act respecting health services and social services;
- an ambulance company;
- any other agency, company or individual having signed an agreement with a health and social services institution.
The complaint assistance and support centre in your region (1-877-767-2227) can also answer your questions and help you file your complaint.
Deadlines for handling a complaint
You can contact us up to two years after you have received the service quality and complaint commissioner’s conclusions.
After this period, we can refuse to examine the second-level complaint unless you can prove that it was impossible for you to act sooner. If we feel that the circumstances warrant it, we can act on our own initiative even if the two-year deadline has passed.
We cannot help you if :
- You have not first contacted the service quality and complaints commissioner of the targeted establishment first.
Note that we can act on a second level, meaning after contacting the service quality and complaints commisioner.
Consult the the service quality and complaints commisioners list to find the one in your region.
The complaint assistance and support centre in your region (1-877-767-2227) can also answer your questions and help you file your complaint.
- If your complaint concerns a physician, pharmacist or dentist practicing in an hospital, a CLSC or any other establishments.
You have to submit your complaint about a healthcare professional to the local service quality and complaints commissioner of the institution where you were treated. The commissioner transfers your complaint to a medical examiner. If you disagree with the medical examiner’s conclusion, you can bring your complaint to the review committee of the institution concerned.
The private practices of doctors, dentists or other health professional are not covered by this complaint examination procedure unless they have a service agreement with a public institution within the health and social services network.
How to file a complaint?
- Using our secure online form :
Online Complaint Form
- By phone :
418 643-2688
Toll-free : 1 800 463-5070
Our telephone services are available from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. - By fax :
1 800 902-7130 - By mail :
800 place D'Youville, 19e étage, Québec (Québec) G1R 3P4
Printable complaint form (PDF, 689 KB)
Not sure?
Feel free to call us. We will refer you to the right resource or recourse if we see that we cannot help you.
Who can file a complaint?
- Any person or group of people, organization or company.
You cannot file a complaint by yourself?
A family member, a friend or an organization can do it for you if you fill out the Power of Attorney form (PDF, 544 Ko).
Also see
Frequently asked questions
Complaints to the Protecteur du citoyen are usually filed by the person who experienced the situation in question. Complaints can also be filed by a friend or family member (with the person’s consent if they are considered competent) about a failing or infringement of rights by a department or an agency of the Government of Québec. Complaints can also be about flaws within the health and social services network. In such a case, the Protecteur du citoyen acts as a second level of recourse, after the service quality and complaints commissioner.
Reports are made by someone who has witnessed shortcomings or injustice in public services. Do you feel that the rights of an individual or of a group of individuals have been breached by the health and social services network? You can report for the well-being of the persons concerned. Whatever the sector, we act directly on the front line.
The formalities for filing a complaint or report are very simple and cost-free. Contact us now.
As a rule, the Protecteur du citoyen handles complaints concerning the Directeur de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ) at the second level.
First you have to take your complaint to the service quality and complaints commissioner. The complaint assistance and support centre (CAAP) in your region can help you.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome (decision by the commissioner’s office, grounds, attitude, processing time), you can then contact us.
Please note: The Protecteur du citoyen cannot challenge a DPJ decision or have a social worker’s or another professional’s assessment report changed (e.g. a decision about the assessment of a report or any measure to help a young person and their family).
However, it can look into whether the administrative rules specific to DPJ operations were applied correctly for the case submitted to it. For example, did the caseworker check the facts thoroughly and gather all the information on the child’s situation? There is a procedure for this. Was it followed? Did the DPJ comply with court orders about child access or other issues? When relevant, the Protecteur du citoyen recommends that the DPJ make the required changes.
If the DPJ and the parents of a child disagree (about the child being removed from the family environment, for example), the Chambre de la jeunesse can hear the case and its decision is then applied by the DPJ.
Here again, the Protecteur du citoyen cannot act to have the decision overturned, but it can act concerning the DPJ’s compliance with rules and practices.
