Complaints Process

Do you have a concern you would like us to address?

The Madawaska Valley Family Health Team strives to provide the highest quality of healthcare programs in a safe and supportive environment.  If you have a concern about quality of care including program information, we encourage you or your family to first discuss you concern with the appropriate members of your healthcare team. The nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals who have been involved in your care are most familiar with your particular situation.  Usually they will be able to quickly resolve any issues you may have.

If a member of your healthcare team is unable to satisfy your concerns, or if you are not satisfied with their response, please file a complaint with the Madawaska Valley Family Health Team’s Executive Director.  All such complaints will be thoroughly investigated without compromising a patient’s future access to care.

Why file a complaint?

It is important that program leads are made aware of concerns that, once resolved, may result in changes to systems that improve services to all patients.

The Complaint Process

Initially you should try to speak with appropriate members of your healthcare team about your concern as soon as reasonably possible.  If you are unable to resolve the problem in this manner, please take the following steps:

1. Formal complaints must be submitted in writing. Complete the complaint form online below or send a letter to the Executive Director.
2. Once received, the complaint will be reviewed by the ED and Physician Lead if appropriate.
3. All complaints will be thoroughly investigated and a written response sent to the complainant within 30 days of receipt of the complaint, followed up by a phone call.

In order to address concerns, the ED may review the complaint with the appropriate healthcare team member and ask him/her to provide input to a written response.  The ED may also arrange to meet with a complainant regarding the concern.

Safeguarding Your Privacy

Because all medical information is confidential, consent will be obtained from complainants if patient medical information is required to address the concern.

Complaints and complaint responses will not become a part of a patients’ electronic medical record.

The Madawaska Valley Family Health Team ED will provide a summary report of complaints to the Board.  This summary report will not contain patient’s personal information.

What are the possible outcomes of a complaint?

When all information is reviewed, the Madawaska Valley Family Health Team may decide to do one of the following:

• Take no further action if the care provided was appropriate
• Remind, counsel, or provide training for a healthcare team member if the ED believes the team member would benefit from some advice, direction, or training
• Refer concerns to the Madawaska Valley Family Health Team’s Lead Physician for further review
• Decide not to investigate because the complaint was made in bad faith or is an abuse of process

Please note that anonymous complaints will not be investigated.

If you have any questions regarding this complaint process, please contact:

Susan Farrar, Executive Director
Madawaska Valley Family Health Team
PO Box 1102, 21 St Francis Memorial Drive
Barry’s Bay, Ontario  K0J 1B0