The health and social service network of Montréal provides services to thousands of users every day. To maintain and improve service quality, we invite any user who is not satisfied with services he received or ought to have received to file a complaint. This is the best way for users to not only protect their rights but also help correct the situation so that it does not happen again.

A Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner is appointed for each healthcare institution in the region, for the Corporation urgences-santé and for the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal. Commissioners are specially trained to examine complaints by users of health services and social services. We see complaints as indicators that will help us to review our practices and policies in order to improve the quality of the services we provide.

Who is entitled to file a complaint?

Any user who is not satisfied with the services he or she received or ought to have received is legally entitled to file a complaint. A user’s representative or the heirs or legal proxies of a deceased user may also formulate a complaint.

Under the Act respecting health services and social services (R.S.Q., chapter S-4.2), you have the following rights:

• the right to be informed of the existence of health services and social services, where and how to obtain such services, your state of health and well-being, possible solutions, and the risks and consequences generally associated with these options;
• the right to receive health services and social services that are scientifically, humanly and socially appropriate, with continuity and in a safe and personalized manner;
• the right to choose the professional or institution from whom or from which you wish to receive such services;
• the right to give or refuse consent to care;
• the right to receive emergency treatment;
• the right to participate in any decision that affects your state of health or well-being;
• the right to receive services in the English language if you are English-speaking, in keeping with the access program for your region;
• the right to be accompanied and assisted when you wish to obtain services or information;
• the right to pursue recourse when an error has been made in your case