Making a health-care complaint is tough. These tips can make the difference

Charles Kinch spent over four years complaining to the B.C. health system following the death of his wife, Leslie Kissel. 

She died of advanced uterine cancer in December 2020 at age 70. He complained that her diagnosis and treatment were mishandled by B.C. Cancer, the provincial agency that oversees cancer care.

But his complaint actually resulted in changes to the system. 

“There’s no resolution that is going to bring my wife back,” he told White Coat Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman.

“So the whole purpose of making a complaint was for other people. Changing the system so that other people like my wife would get better treatment, better outcomes than what Leslie got.” 

Though Kinch was able to make an impact, that’s not always the case when lodging a formal complaint.

And the system itself can be difficult to navigate.

But Dr. Rob Robson, who has spent much of his career dealing with patient complaints and mediation, says there are ways to improve your chances of being heard. 

Complain early, take notes

Robson, a health-care mediator and emergency department physician based in Dundas, Ont., says patient complaints are typically sparked by three main reasons. 

The most common one stems from a patient or loved one wanting to understand what happened or what went wrong, he says. The other reasons are a desire to create change for future patients, and looking for someone to take accountability and apologize.

So where to start?

Robson said it’s best to make a complaint as soon as possible. “If you can start that process within a few days, then the memories are clear,” he said.

But that’s not always possible, especially for people who are dealing with the death of a loved one. In those cases, Robson said, health-care providers shouldn’t discredit the person’s concerns because they waited to make the complaint. 

When dealing with the medical system, it can be helpful to take detailed notes about the treatment and process, he said. That way, if you get to a point where you feel a complaint is necessary, you aren’t relying solely on memory. 

You should also hold on to all related documentation. Physical records belong to the health-care facility, but Robson said patients have the right to access them or request a photocopy at some cost.

Finding the right person

Robson says it’s important to focus on the experience and facts.

Another important step, Robson says, is to make sure you get the name of a real person who you can connect with about your complaint.

And you need to make sure it’s the right person, he added. 

“If you’re not raising your concerns with the right person, you might have somebody who says, ‘Oh no, I don’t deal with that. I can’t help you with that problem,’” said Robson. 

In a best case, that person will direct you to the correct one. But Robson said they’ll often just say they can’t help, and that’s that. If that happens, Robson suggests contacting the CEO of the hospital or health authority, or reaching out to the appropriate regulatory college. 

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He said the health system needs to improve how it communicates where, and to whom, complaints should be sent. That could be as simple as a sign posted in rooms where people are receiving care.

“It doesn’t do us credit that we make it so hard to raise concerns,” said Robson.

And don’t stop taking notes. Robson said it’s even appropriate to record conversations with complaint officers, though he suggests being courteous and upfront about it.

Be persistent

Keith Dury of Moncton, N.B., is still waiting to hear back about a complaint he filed about four months ago about a visit to the Moncton Hospital’s emergency room on May 19, 2025. While he received the treatment he needed, he says his treatment by one nurse was unacceptable.

While getting his blood taken, Dury passed out. After waking up, he says the nurse “made a passive-aggressive comment,” suggesting Dury should have given hospital staff a heads-up that he might faint. 

Following that, Dury overheard the same nurse complaining, which he assumed was about him. 

“This was extremely unprofessional and hurtful,” Dury said in an email to White Coat Black Art. 

Following his experience, Dury complained to the hospital’s patient relations office. He received a notice that the complaint had been received, plus a name and phone number of a staff member in patient relations.

And then nothing.

“If we don’t understand what actually happened when things go wrong … there is no way that we can change the system.– Dr. Rob Robson

This is where Robson says it’s important to be consistent while remaining courteous. 

“I think you just persist,” said Robson, and if there continues to be no response, take the complaint to a regulatory body. 

Horizon Health Network, one of New Brunswick’s health authorities which runs the Moncton Hospital and its patient relations department, said it cannot speak about details involving specific patients for privacy reasons.

However, it said the health network does take patient concerns seriously and has a process for addressing those concerns. This process involves reviewing and investigating what happened with the patient, the care team, and Horizon’s patient relations team. 

“Once our review is complete, we always share the findings and outcomes directly with the patient,” Jeff Carter, Horizon’s vice-president responsible for patient experience and professional services, said in an emailed statement.

“Our commitment is to listen with compassion, respond with transparency and ensure every concern receives the attention it deserves.”

Dury never went higher than Moncton Hospital’s patient relations department. He says he hasn’t received any notice from Horizon Health Network on what steps they’ve taken since he lodged his complaint four months ago — and he has yet to see them take any accountability. 

Changing the system

Kinch ended up elevating his complaint to B.C.’s independent patient care quality review board. The initial reply he received outlined some recommendations, but the second response contained substantial commitments to change, including improving communication with people diagnosed with cancer and improvements to navigating cancer care.

Robson says that’s why it’s important for people to raise their concerns. 

“If we don’t understand what actually happened when things go wrong … there is no way that we can change the system or change circumstances for other people,” said Robson.

But, Robson says, it shouldn’t be entirely on the patient or loved one to craft the perfect complaint and send it to the right person. He says health-care organizations need to take accountability. 

“We need to accept that maybe there’s something we can learn from that. Maybe they have observations that are appropriate,” said Robson.