Handling your complaint

Your complaint is handled in strictest confidence. The personal information in your file is protected. It can only be accessed by the people authorized to consult it as part of their functions.

Two major stages

  1. Audit
    1. Receipt of your complaint
    2. Admissibility analysis
    3. Preliminary audit
  2. Investigative process
    1. Investigation
    2. Investigative conclusions
    3. Recommendations
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Audit

  1. Receipt of your complaint
  2. Can we process it? (Admissibility)
    Yes
    No

    End of processing. We refer you to the appropriate recourse.
    Please note: if your complaint concerns a court or tribunal decision, we cannot process it. See the other exclusions.

  3. Preliminary audit
    • We listen to your version of the events and examine any document you have supplied us with.
    • We consult the rules (laws, regulations, government programs, etc.) that should have been applied in your situation.
    • If we feel that a mistake has been made and that it can be corrected quickly, we can contact the body concerned.
    • If the situation is not corrected, or if your complaint requires further verification, we begin the investigation.
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Investigative process

  1. Investigation
    • We intervene with the government department or agency or the health institution concerned to obtain the point of view of the people who handled your file;
    • We can ask for a copy of your file or of any other document or information useful for our analysis.
    • We examine all the information collected to see whether the rules in effect were applied correctly.
    • We keep you informed regularly about how the investigation is going.

    The Protecteur du citoyen has the powers of a public inquiry commissioner. Public services are obliged to answer all its questions and to provide any relevant document or information.

  2. Investigative conclusions
    Unsubstantiated complaint

    We explain the reasons for our conclusions. Where applicable, we suggest other possible recourse.
    End of investigation

    Substantiated complaint

    We inform you about the conclusions of our investigation and of the actions undertaken.
    Recommendations to the government department or agency or to the health institution concerned

  3. Follow-up on recommendations

    We follow-up in order to verify whether our recommendations have been implemented.

    Please note: We have the power to make recommendations. In most cases, they are accepted. We cannot force the organization concerned to make the requested changes.

    End of investigation

Processing timeframe
Our Service Statement presents our commitments in terms of timeframes and service quality.

Want to file a complaint?

Online complaint form

Want to send us documents related to your complaint?

Document transmission form

Questions about handling of your complaint?
Call us at 1-800-463-5070 or email us.