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.
The Island Health PCQO is your central point of contact for sharing feedback with Island Health. We welcome your comments, questions and/or concerns.
Our role is to:
- Help you find answers to your questions
- Ensure your feedback reaches the right clinical leaders
- Support the resolution of care concerns
We are committed to a patient and family-centered approach. This means we listen carefully, keep you
informed, and involve you throughout the care review process.
Submit your concern or feedback
At Island Health, we want to hear from you. The PCQO encourages you to first speak directly with your care team if you have a concern, this is often the fastest way to resolve issues.
If you still feel your concern has not been addressed, you can contact the 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: 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 location - 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
- 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.
Response
You can expect to hear back from us within 40 business days of contacting our office.
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
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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?
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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.