| Complaints You Have the Right to Complain If you are concerned about the care you have received from a dental hygienist, you have the right to complain to the College. Although there is no time limit in which to make your complaint, you should let the College know about your concern as soon as possible. Telling Us About Your Complaint If you have a complaint about a dental hygienist, send your complaint to the College in a recorded format (e.g., written, tape or video recorded). The more information you can give, the easier it will be to look into your complaint. You should include:
Investigating Your Complaint Once the College has received your complaint, an investigation will begin. In the majority of cases, a copy of your complaint will be forwarded to the dental hygienist, who will be given 30 days to respond to your concern. A copy of the dental hygienist’s response will then be sent to you for any further comments you may wish to make. The dental hygienist’s explanation may be enough to answer any questions you have and may resolve your complaint. If the dental hygienist’s response has not resolved your complaint, the College’s Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) will continue with its investigation. In some cases, the College may ask you to sign an Authorization Form to assist in obtaining your oral health records. Even if you are satisfied with the dental hygienist’s response, the ICRC may choose to continue its investigation if it feels that it is in the public interest to do so. The College will keep you informed as the investigation proceeds. The ICRC includes both government-appointed members of the public and peer-elected dental hygienists. Neither you nor the dental hygienist attends the ICRC meetings. The ICRC may decide to appoint an investigator to gather information relating to your complaint. This may involve interviewing you, the dental hygienist, and any other person who may have information relating to your complaint. All information relating to the investigation and resolution of a complaint is confidential. What Happens Next? The ICRC reviews everything gathered during the investigation. After this review, the ICRC may do one or more of the following:
Timeframes The investigation of a complaint should be completed within 150 days of it being filed with the College. If it takes more than 150 days to conclude the matter, the ICRC does not lose jurisdiction. A letter is sent to the complainant explaining that the ICRC will not meet the deadline and providing an expected date of disposition that is no more than 60 days from the date of the notice. After 210 days, if the matter is still not concluded, a letter is sent to both parties and to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB) explaining why the ICRC was not able to do so and an estimate of the expected date of disposition. Either party can bring an application to HPARB seeking relief from the delay of the investigation. What Happens if I am Not Satisfied With the Decision of the ICRC? Unless the decision is a referral to the Discipline Committee or for incapacity proceedings, both you and the dental hygienist have the right to request a review of the decision by HPARB within 30 days of receipt of the ICRC’s decision. HPARB is an independent body established by the provincial government. It is made up of non-health care professionals. Please note, the College does not have the authority to order monetary compensation for you from the dental hygienist. This can only be achieved through civil proceedings. How to Contact the College Your letter of complaint should be addressed to: The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario 69 Bloor Street East, Suite 300 Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A9 Tel # 416 961 6234, ext 228 or 1-800-268-2346, ext 228 Fax # 416 961 6028 ewaters@cdho.org |