Share a concern or feedback

Your experience matters. If you have a concern about the care you received,  we’re here to listen. 

The Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) is your central point of contact for feedback about care at Island Health. We will:

  • Help you find answers to your questions
  • Make sure your feedback reaches the right leaders
  • Support a fair and respectful review process
  • Keep you informed along the way

The Patient Care Quality Review Board Act requires each Health Authority to have a Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) to receive and provide oversight for the management and processing of all care quality concerns.

Share a concern or feedback

If you have a concern about your care, we encourage you to first speak with your care team or their manager. Many issues can be resolved quickly this way.
 

If your concern hasn’t been resolved, you can contact the Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) in any of the following ways:

  • Online: Submit concerns and feedback through our online form
  • Phone: 250-370-8323 or toll-free at 1-877-977-5797
  • Email: patientcarequalityoffice@islandhealth.ca
  • Mail or In Person (South Island)
    • Royal Jubilee Hospital | Patient Care Quality Office
      Royal Jubilee Hospital – Memorial Pavilion
      Watson Wing, Rm 315
      1952 Bay Street
      Victoria, B.C.  
      V8R 1J8
    • RJH Hours: In-person meetings are available 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at this location. (closed on weekends and stat holidays)
  • In Person (Central Island):
    • Nanaimo Regional General Hospital 
    • Main Floor, Room 1299
      1200 Dufferin Crescent
      Nanaimo, B.C. 
    • NRGH Hours: In-person meetings are available 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at this location. (closed on weekends and stat holidays)
What to Include

To help us review your concern, please include:

  • A clear description of your concern or feedback, including dates
  • Site/location and the program or service where care was received
  • Names of staff involved or staff you have spoken with about your concern or feedback
  • What outcome or resolution you seek

Information about consent

We want to make sure your concerns are reviewed carefully and by the right health care leaders. To do this, we may ask for your consent to look at the medical records related to your concern.

Your privacy is very important to us. We will never share your medical information without your permission.

Consent For Friends & Family Members

If you are sharing a concern on behalf of someone else, we will need proof that you are allowed to act for them. This could include:

  • A copy of a Health Care Representation Agreement naming you as the patient’s representative.
  • We may also ask to speak directly with the patient to confirm their consent. In cases where we cannot speak directly with the patient, we may send a third-party consent form to be completed.

What happens next

You can expect a response within 40 business days.

In some cases, we may need additional time to complete a thorough review. If this happens, we will connect with you directly. These timelines are set by the Government of British Columbia under the Patient Care Quality Review Board Act.

How we can respond to your feedback:

  • Share your feedback with the appropriate leaders (no response required).
  • Provide a written response.
  • Provide a telephone response.

The Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) now asks every person accessing its services if they would like to voluntarily identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit. By ensuring Indigenous clients feel safe and supported to identify themselves when they contact the PCQO, Island Health will be in a better position to hear their voices and respond to their needs.

Responding to the identification question is voluntary and clients can decline answering without any impact on the quality of the care they receive or the processing of their compliment, concern or complaint. Proof of ancestry is not required and Island Health will keep the information provided confidential

Concerns about public health

Island Health monitors facilities and systems related to public health:

  • Child care facilities
  • Communicable disease
  • Drinking water
  • Food safety
  • Long term care facilities
  • Personal service inspections (tattoos, tanning, and piercings)
  • Recreational water (beaches, pools)
  • Sewage
  • Tobacco & vapour retail enforcement, smoke-free spaces

To report a public health issue or violation, visit our Medical Health Officers page.

What if I am still not satisfied?

If you don’t feel your concerns were resolved based on the response of the Island Health Patient Care Quality Office, you may wish to contact the Patient Care Quality Review Board for an independent review of the process regarding care quality complaints. 

The Patient Care Quality Review Board is a separate organization from Island Health that reports to the Minister of Health.