Service Quality and Complaints Commission

Improving the quality of services and care: our first concern!

The Act respecting health services and social services (ARHSSS) provides for a complaint examination system that allows a person aggrieved in their rights to express their dissatisfaction or to file a complaint. It is the right time to express discontent, but it is also an opportunity for us to make adjustments in order to answer our users' needs more effectively.

Who may file a complaint?

Any user who is not satisfied with the health and social services they received or should have received can file a complaint. This complaint can be written by the representative of an incapacitated user or by the legal heirs of a deceased user.

The Act respecting health services and social services recognizes users the following rights:

• Be informed of the existing services and how to access them;
• Receive the appropriate services with continuity, in a personalized and safe manner;
• Choose the professional or establishment from which they wish to receive services;
• Receive emergency care when needed;
• Be informed of their health condition and of any accident that occurred during the provision of services;
• Consent to, or refuse, care in a free and informed manner;
• Participate in any decision concerning them;
• Be accompanied by a person of their choice when they want to receive information about services;
• Be lodged if their condition does not allow their return home;
• Receive services in English, in accordance with the governmental program of access;
• Access their user file;
• File a complaint without risk of reprisal.

Who receives the complaints?

Bodies under the commissioner’s jurisdiction

Only complaints regarding health services and social services provided by either one of these resources fall under the commissioner's jurisdiction:

• Facility of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord (hospital, CLSC, CHSLD, youth protection, rehabilitation centre)
• Intermediate resource
• Family-type resource
• Private residence
• Subsidized community organization providing health services or social services
• Organization, partnership or person to which or whom the CISSS de la Côte-Nord has recourse
• Pre-hospital emergency services company
• Provincial detention centre (health services and social services only)

Reporting situations of maltreatment

The Act to combat maltreatment of seniors and other persons of full age in vulnerable situations was adopted in 2017 and updated in 2022. This act provides, among other things, that:

• It applies to seniors AND all other persons of full age in vulnerable situation;
• Anyone can report a situation of maltreatment or ask for help or advice by contacting:
  • The Elder Mistreatment Helpline at 1 888 489-2287;
  • Info-Social at 811, option 2.

• Any provider of health services and social services (including those bound by professional secrecy) who has reasonable grounds to believe that a person of full age is a victim of maltreatment MUST report the situation to the Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner immediately if:
  • The person is lodged in a CHSLD, IR or FTR;
  • The person is under a protection regime;
  • The person's incapacity to take care of themselves or to manage their property was observed with a medical assessment;
  • The person in a vulnerable situation lives in a PSR.

• The commissioner must take all necessary measures to preserve the confidentiality of any information that would allow a person who has reported maltreatment to be identified;
• Reprisals are prohibited against a person who has reported maltreatment.

To report a situation of maltreatment of a senior or a person of full age in a vulnerable situation, click here.

For more information, consult the maltreatment section.

Do you need assistance?

If you need assistance to file a complaint, you can contact one of the following organizations:

Users' committees

Link to the users' committee section

Centre d'assistance et d'accompagnement aux plaintes (CAAP) - Côte-Nord

The CAAP-Côte-Nord is a regional community organization mandated by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to help and assist users who want to file a complaint in the health and social services network. The CAAP-Côte-Nord's role is not to manage complaints, but to assist users during the process. Its services are free and confidential, and there are many ways to contact them:

Centre d'assistance et d'accompagnement aux plaintes - Côte-Nord

Baie-Comeau: 418-295-2779

Sept-Îles: 418-968-2779

Toll free: 1-877-767-2227
Email: info@caap-cn.org 
Website: www.caap-cn.org 

Québec Ombudsman

If you disagree with the response of the Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner, if you failed to receive any response from the commissioner within 45 days, or if the CISSS did not adequately comply with the recommendations of the commissioner, you may contact the Québec Ombudsman. They will proceed to a review of your complaint.

Québec Ombudsman

Toll free: 1-800-463-5070

Email: protecteur@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca 
Website: https://protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en

Useful information

• Complaint form - CISSS de la Côte-Nord - English
• Complaint form - CLSC Naskapi - English
• MSSS leaflet - English
• Leaflet - Young users - English
• Regulation respecting the complaint examination procedure of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord (in French)
• Leaflet - CISSS de la Côte-Nord's Code of Ethics - English
• Roles and functions: Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner AND Users' Committee

Annual complaints examination reports

Only available in French:

• 2021-2022
• 2020-2021
• 2019-2020
• 2018-2019
• 2017-2018
• 2016-2017
• 2015-2016
• 2014-2015
• 2013-2014