Ombudsman highlights unfairness and inequity from lack of formal health care complaint process for CAF members

OTTAWA, ON, June 4, 2024 /CNW/ -?The National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman has released a report titled Defending Wellness: A Systemic Investigation of the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) Health Care Complaint Process.

The investigation identifies unfairness and inequity resulting from the lack of a formal health care (medical and dental) complaint process for CAF members as well as some of the impacts this has on those members.

The investigation revealed:

• Health care complaints are addressed inconsistently across Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) centres. As a result, CFHS staff and members lack awareness on how to submit or address a health care complaint consistently across the CAF Health Services.
• Members often use the CAF grievance process due to the lack of a formal CAF health care complaint process. This was seen as an inappropriate mechanism to address healthcare complaints.
• A centralized tracking system does not exist for health care complaints. This prevents the CAF from performing trends analysis and ultimately improving the quality of the health care system.

In the report, the Ombudsman recommends that the CAF implement a CFHS Instruction and develop a centralized tracking system for health care complaints. This goes hand in hand with the Person-Partnered Care approach and if implemented, would positively contribute to operational readiness and the well-being of CAF members. 

"Formalizing and communicating the process to address health care complaints is the basis for a fair and more efficient resolution."

"If the CAF does not implement our recommendations, I am certain that CAF members' morale and welfare, and CAF retention will be negatively affected. Delays in resolving grievances and the absence of a formal health care complaint process may result in untreated or exacerbated medical conditions among members."

Gregory A. Lick - National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman

SOURCE National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman