Service Quality and Complaints Commission

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

The Act respecting the governance of the health and social services system 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?

Anyone who is not satisfied with the health and social services they received or should have received can file a complaint. It can also be filed by the representative, spouse or close relative of a person of full age under legal incapacity, or by the holder of parental authority or guardian of a minor person.

The Act respecting the governance of the health and social services system 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.

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 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 by email, Ouvre une fenêtre pour la rédaction du courrielclick here.

For more information, consult the Ouvre un lien interne dans la fenêtre courantemaltreatment section.

Who receives the complaints?

The team of the Commissariat aux plaintes et à la qualité des services is spread out on the territory. To make this service more accessible, there is a single place to contact for the whole region:

By telephone: 418-962-2572 (ext. 414122)

Toll-free: 1-833-677-6243

IMPORTANT : In order to open a record, write the name of the user concerned, their date of birth, their Quebec health insurance number, their full address with the postal code and a telephone number to reach them.

By email: Ouvre une fenêtre pour la rédaction du courrielplaintes.09cisss@ssss.gouv.qc.ca 

By mail:
Commissariat aux plaintes et à la qualité des services
CISSS de la Côte-Nord
405, avenue Brochu
Sept-Îles (Québec) G4R 2W9

All complaints filed and all requests for assistance will be received and treated by a member of the team, who will then inform you of what they did, and their recommendations to the establishment, where applicable.

Do you need assistance?

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

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:

/typo3conf/l10n/fr/rtehtmlarea/Resources/Private/Language/fr.locallang_accessibilityicons.xlf:external_link_new_window_altTextCentre 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: Ouvre une fenêtre pour la rédaction du courrielinfo@caap-cn.org 
Website: /typo3conf/l10n/fr/rtehtmlarea/Resources/Private/Language/fr.locallang_accessibilityicons.xlf:external_link_new_window_altTextwww.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 /typo3conf/l10n/fr/rtehtmlarea/Resources/Private/Language/fr.locallang_accessibilityicons.xlf:external_link_new_window_altTextQuébec Ombudsman. They will proceed to a review of your complaint.

Québec Ombudsman

Toll free: 1-800-463-5070

Email: Ouvre une fenêtre pour la rédaction du courrielprotecteur@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca 
Website: /typo3conf/l10n/fr/rtehtmlarea/Resources/Private/Language/fr.locallang_accessibilityicons.xlf:external_link_new_window_altTexthttps://protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en

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