November 29th, 2023
Guiding with Purpose – Working to ensure fairness at every step
As the year draws to a close, we’re taking time to reflect on the changes we’ve seen in complaints over the last year. Sharing data and stories from the complaints we received and resolved between April 2022 and March 2023, our latest annual report shines a light on health care experiences and the growing number of Ontarians who have nowhere to turn with their health care concerns.
Last year, our office received a record high number of complaints at more than 4,300 complaints – 50% of which were related to hospitals, 7% related to long-term care homes and 6% related to home care. Quality of care remains at the top the list for both hospitals and long-term care homes with staffing/resources at the top for home care.
What stands out in our 2022/23 complaints data is the number of complaints about organizations and services outside of our jurisdiction: 37% non-jurisdictional complaints is almost double the number of non-jurisdictional complaints we received in 2021/22. Most of these complaints were related to primary care such as family doctors and walk-in clinics.
When we receive a complaint that is not within our authority to help resolve, we try to connect people to someone who can help. Last year, we provided more than 2,600 referrals to other complaint organisations and services.
System navigation is a big part of our work and emphasizes the importance of having appropriate oversight bodies for all areas of our health care system.
The growing number of complaints isn’t a concern. In fact, it’s a sign of a healthy system. When people make complaints, it shows they are comfortable talking about what isn’t working and gives health organizations a second chance to make things right and hopefully ensure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
We look forward to continuing to work with patients, residents, caregivers and health care organisations in 2024 to help make Ontario’s health system fairer and more responsive for everyone.