Clinical care and conduct complaint
Most complaints submitted to CPSBC deal with a physician or surgeon’s clinical decision-making or the way a patient has been treated. Below is a guide on how our process works for clinical care and conduct complaints.
What to expect after an investigation
Our goal is to protect the health and safety of patients. We help a physician or surgeon improve their practice if they don’t meet the CPSBC practice standards. The goal is to help prevent similar situations from happening again.
The decision letter may require the physician or surgeon to do the following:
- attend an interview to discuss the matter in more detail
- take educational courses
- sign a commitment to improve their future practice
- receive a formal reprimand
- have restrictions placed on their practice
- attend a public CPSBC hearing
- have their licence taken away in extreme circumstances
The Inquiry Committee may choose to launch a more general investigation and do a more detailed review. A copy of the decision is placed on the physician or surgeon’s permanent CPSBC record regardless of the complaint’s outcome.
How to appeal a decision
The (HPRB) can independently review certain decisions. A person filing a complaint can apply for a HPRB review if they believe the investigation was inadequate or if they disagree with a decision.
