The Complaints Process

As a Complainant you will be contacted by the Complaints Director when the complaint is received to discuss it. Throughout the process you will receive regular updates, required by the Health Professions Act, via email. The Complaints Director may also reach out to you to canvass your consent to resolution, or you may be contacted as a potential witness in an investigation by an investigator or the Complaints Director.

The College is unable to provide you legal advice on whether your professional liability insurance will provide any assistance or coverage to you as a regulated member and encourage you to contact your insurance company directly to receive information if a complaint has been made against you.

Yes, in some cases resolution is offered after an investigation prior to, or without, proceeding to a hearing. It is also possible that resolution is offered prior to an investigation, depending on the circumstances of a complaint.

If you proceeded to a hearing and received an outcome of unprofessional conduct, there are routes of appeal available in the Health Professions Act in certain circumstances. The College encourages you to review the available routes of appeal in the Health Professions Act to start the process or seek legal advice if you wish to do so.

Some outcomes may have the possibility of being reviewed. For example, if a complaint is dismissed by the Complaints Director, the complainant can ask for it to be reviewed by the Complaints Review Committee. Please see LINK HERE for more information. If you have concerns about the outcome of a complaint, specifically how a complaint was managed or dealt with by the College, you may contact the Alberta Ombudsman. Please review their website for further information on the process.

The decision to have representation is yours. The College encourages you to seek legal representation if you wish to do so.