health system
What can the office
address?
the patient experience. The work
services while they wait at home
is meant to be collaborative, not
for a placement. Again, com-
• The Patient Ombudsman can try to
adversarial. She says Ontarians
munications issues can be at the
resolve or investigate a complaint regard-
expect the Ombudsman to bring
core of inappropriate or poorly
ing a health sector organization, which
the patient voice to the atten-
planned discharge from hospital.
includes hospitals, long-term care homes
tion of public policy-makers and
Access to care complaints
or Community Care Access Centres.
decision-makers.
revolve around issues like long
Ms. Elliott reports that health-
wait times and overcrowding in
• The office doesn’t have jurisdiction over
care sector organizations have
hospitals. Not surprising, the
regulated health-care professionals. The
been eager to work with her.
office sees a lack of equity in the
Colleges continue to handle complaints
They see the Patient Om-
way services are delivered across
about specific individuals.
budsman as a bridge to bring
Ontario – a complex issue with
everybody together and resolve
no easy answers. There’s a con-
•
Generally,
the
Patient
Ombudsman
can’t
lingering problems. “There has
sensus among patients and health
deal with complaints that are the subject
been enormous goodwill from
sector organizations alike that
of a proceeding.
both sides,” she says.
technology could and should be
Getting the office up and run-
used to greater advantage, espe-
• The office lacks jurisdiction over
ning was the priority for year
cially in small, rural and northern
privately-owned retirement homes.
one. For year two, Ms. Elliott
communities.
will focus on outreach. That
Resolutions can range, but can
means making more people
often take the form of simple
aware of the office and what
recognition of the issue, an
it can achieve, and connecting with marginalized and
apology, a policy revision or (after an investigation) a
vulnerable populations. “We want this office to be as ac-
recommendation for a change to prevent someone else
cessible and inclusive as possible.”
from going through a similar experience.
What can health-care professionals do to reduce the
Ms. Elliott’s office will report to the Minister of
complaints coming forward? Just like in medicine,
Health and Long-Term Care annually on their activi-
prevention can be far more desirable and effective than
ties and recommendations, and provide reports to Local
a cure.
Health Integration Networks as appropriate.
Ms. Elliott says that doctors and their health-care col-
leagues can be part of solutions that occur at the earliest
Longstanding interest in health policy
possible stage. For instance, by the time a complaint
Ms. Elliott is a lawyer by profession, and spent almost
gets to a patient advisor in a hospital, the issue is already
a decade as an MPP, first for Whitby-Ajax and then
inflamed. “Organizations that are proactive end up with
for Whitby-Oshawa. For several years, she was her
fewer upset patients.”
party’s health critic. In the community, she has served
She feels privileged to be the province’s first Patient
as a volunteer or board member with, among others,
Ombudsman, and says this is an exciting time for
the Grandview Children’s Centre (young people with
health care. “We’re in the midst of a transformation,
special needs), Durham Mental Health Services, the
from primarily provider-centred care to patient-cen-
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Abilities
tred care. I think we’re on the verge of making some
Centre in Whitby.
changes that will have major impact on patients and
The office can connect complainants, their caregivers
families.”
and health-sector organizations, all to improve care and
MD
42
Dialogue Issue 2, 2017