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On September 25, 2023, Patient Ombudsman’s mandate was expanded to include oversight of complaints about experiences with community surgical and diagnostic centres.
In the past, Patient Ombudsman had received a handful of complaints about the former Independent Health Facilities.
The new legislation and regulation governing the centres requires them to establish and maintain processes to receive, respond to and monitor complaints. In responding to complaints, the centres are required to provide information about how to contact Patient Ombudsman. Between September 2023 and the end of the fiscal year, we received 76 complaints. Most of the complaints received to date are about clinics that provide ultrasounds, x-rays and sleep studies and reflect concerns about communication, including communication related to the centres’ responses to complaints, delays, problems with communicating test results and concerns about insensitive, disrespectful care.
Approximately 900 community surgical and diagnostic centres are licensed to provide a range of OHIP-insured services including:
- Diagnostic imaging (e.g., x-rays and ultrasound)
- MRI, CT and PET scans
- Sleep studies
- Abortions
- Birthing centres
- Minimally invasive gynecological surgery
- Cataract and other eye surgeries
- Pulmonary function
- Nuclear medicine, and
- OHIP-insured plastic surgery