Patient Care Quality Office

PHSA and its programs invite you to give us your feedback through the Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO).

We take concerns about the quality of your care seriously. If we have not met your care expectations, the PCQO is here to accept your feedback, provide an opportunity to resolve those concerns, and identify areas for quality improvement.

We also accept your compliments and it is our pleasure to pass on those comments to the programs and ensure staff are recognized for their exceptional care. Please click below on Compliments or Complaints to proceed.

When a patient or someone acting on their behalf contacts us, we will ask if the patient self-identifies as an Indigenous person. This information will help us make sure our PHSA programs are responsive to the cultures, needs and values of Indigenous peoples, and that the complaints process is welcoming, culturally safe and relevant for Indigenous people submitting a complaint.

This information will also help us uphold our organizational commitment to address Indigenous-specific racism. Responding to the Indigenous self-identification question is voluntary and proof of ancestry is not required. Should you choose not to answer, the complaint process or the care you receive will not be impacted negatively.

Compliments

You can help us improve our services by providing your feedback, good or bad.

If you have a compliment, please speak with the person who provided the service or to the manager of the area, or PCQO directly. We will be pleased to pass your comments on to the appropriate individual or care team.

If you received care from a paramedic or emergency medical call taker, please contact PCQO directly so your compliment can be forwarded to the appropriate staff or manager within BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS).

Send a compliment

Want to share your compliment with everyone?

If you would like to share your compliment more broadly, you can post on our Messages of Thanks page.

Not only do we want to improve individual patient care, we want to make the quality of our health-care system even better.

Complaints

If you have a complaint, please speak with the person who provided the service or to the manager of the area. Complaints are best addressed and resolved at the time and place they occur.*

If your complaint remains unresolved after discussing the issue with the service area, you may wish to contact the Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) directly. Complaints can be made by phone, in person, or in writing by email, fax or letter.

If you choose to do so, we look forward to hearing from you. We do ask that you take a moment and review the following information about how we will address your concerns.

*If you received care from a paramedic or emergency medical call taker, please contact PCQO directly so your concerns can be forwarded to the appropriate staff or manager within BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS).

What can I expect if I complain to the PCQO?

PCQO handles complaints in an open and transparent manner, and liaises between patients and health-care providers during the complaint process. Complaints will not compromise your access or service.

We will formally record and manage your complaint in a prompt and fair manner.
Our office will work with you toward a resolution by connecting with the appropriate care providers and investigating relevant policies and procedures.
You will be provided with a response to your complaint as well as an explanation of decisions and actions taken as a result of your complaint.

Please provide as much detail as you can about your experience and the site or program to which you are referring. Please be sure to include:

A clear description of your complaint.
The program or service, and the site/location of where it happened.
The date(s) care was provided.
The names of any staff you spoke to about your complaint.
What outcome or resolution you seek.

If you need help contacting us because English is not your first language, we have translated our information brochure into Chinese, Farsi, French, German and Punjabi. You can also request translation services when you contact us. (See the brochures and guides tab above.)

Your feedback will be used to identify improvements to the quality and safety of patient care.

What if I am still not satisfied?

If the response from PCQO has not resolved your complaint, you may contact the Patient Care Quality Review Board for an independent assessment of the matter. To request a review of your complaint by the Patient Care Quality Review Board, please contact:

Patient Care Quality Review Board

PO Box 9643

Victoria, BC V8W 9P1

Phone: 1-866-952-2448 (toll-free)

Email: contact@patientcarequalityreviewboard.ca

Fax: 250-952-2428

More information about the Patient Care Quality Review Board can be found on its website or by asking PCQO.

Send a complaint

Brochures & guide

PCQO information brochure

PCQO guide

PCQO guide

Translation or interpretation services

If you require language help to report a compliment or complaint, or even to learn more about how to do so, you can request translation or interpretation services through PCQO. PCQO has access to Provincial Language Services translators and interpreters.

For Indigenous languages, we can check with a PHSA Indigenous Patient Navigator to see if there are language resource options available.

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