Clinical care and conduct complaint
Most complaints submitted to the College deal with a registrant’s clinical decision-making or the way a patient has been treated. Below is a guide on how our process works for clinical care and conduct complaints.
How a complaint is investigated
A team of people provide input during an investigation. This includes physicians, surgeons and subject matter experts who have a wide range of skills, experiences and perspectives.
Our staff will perform a preliminary review to determine the next steps once a complaint is received. This includes
- sending a copy of the complaint to the registrant being investigated;
- asking the registrant being investigated for a written response and a copy of relevant medical records;
- gathering more information from other physicians and surgeons involved, if appropriate; and
- sending the registrant’s response to the person filing the complaint, who at this point may submit additional information.
It takes time to collect all the necessary information for a thorough, transparent, and fair review. We always try to conclude complaints in a timely manner. Some complaints may take longer depending on individual circumstances.
