Defending Wellness: A Systemic Investigation of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Health Care Complaint Process
June 4, 2024 - Defence Stories
A recent DND/CAF Ombudsman investigation of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) handling of health care complaints has found that CAF members face unfairness and inequity resulting from the lack of a formal (medical and dental) health care complaint process.
In the report titled Defending Wellness: A Systemic Investigation of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Health Care Complaint Process, the Ombudsman makes three findings:
- Health care complaints are addressed inconsistently across Canadian Forces Health Services centres due to the lack of a formal health care complaint process.
- Members often use the CAF grievance process due to the lack of a formal CAF health care complaint process.
- A centralized tracking system does not exist for health care complaints.
This lack of a formal health care complaint process may deter members from submitting a complaint—some resorting to the grievance process. This causes delays and can result in inequitable outcomes. This also moves away from the Person-Partnered Care approach, where health care providers and CAF members have open communications to tailor the health care plan based on a person’s needs.
The Ombudsman makes two recommendations to the CAF:
- By January 2025 that the CAF dedicate resources to implement a Canadian Forces Health Services Instruction on the administration of CAF health care complaints.
- By May 2026 that the CAF resources to develop a centralized tracking system for health care complaints submitted across Canadian Forces Health Services centres and to Canadian Forces Health Services Group directly. This would include implementing a formalized Lessons Learned Framework for continuous improvements, detailing trends in health care complaints and collecting disaggregated data.
To help CAF members and their families, the Ombudsman’s website has educational information to help them make informed decisions when using CAF complaint mechanisms.
This is the first of two reports following the Ombudsman’s systemic review of CAF military complaint mechanisms. Getting Redress Right: An investigation into the inequities CAF members face when they have limited or no grievance rights will be published soon.
Learn more by following the DND/CAF Ombudsman on Facebook, Instagram and X or by visiting ombuds.ca.