After a difficult perinatal experience, speaking out can seem daunting. Some parents want explanations, while others wish for their experience to be acknowledged or for reassurance that another family won’t go through the same thing. But some want the healthcare professional involved investigated to prevent them from repeating the behavior or actions.

In our previous article, we explained how to file a complaint through the healthcare institution where you received care. Here, we explore another avenue: filing a complaint with a professional order. This process allows us to verify whether the service provider’s conduct complied with the professional standards and ethical obligations governing their practice. When we refer to a service provider, we are talking about a doctor, midwife, nurse, physiotherapist, etc.

Below, we explain who to contact, how to prepare and submit your request, and how the investigation following your complaint unfolds. We also outline the possible outcomes and the appeals available to you if you disagree with the decision.

What Concerns Can You Bring Forward?

In perinatal care, concerns may involve an intervention performed without consent, intimidating comments during labour, or pressure to accept a procedure without an opportunity to ask questions. Describing the specific words or actions that concerned you helps explain what you want investigated. For example, if you agreed to an examination but another intervention was performed without your knowledge, that distinction matters.

You may hesitate to report what happened because you don’t want someone to be punished or dismissed. But seeking accountability doesn’t mean you have to ask for a particular sanction. You can explain what happened and why it concerned you, leaving those responsible for the investigation to assess whether further action is warranted.

Professional orders are responsible for protecting the public. An inquiry doesn’t automatically result in disciplinary action, although sanctions remain possible when misconduct is established.

Identify the Order Responsible

The first step in requesting an inquiry is to identify the provider’s profession and the order that regulates it.

Physicians, including obstetricians and family doctors, belong to the Collège des médecins du Québec. Nurses belong to the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, while midwives are regulated by the Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec. Physiotherapists belong to the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec.

The Québec government’s list of professions and member directories helps you find the appropriate organization and verify membership. If several professionals were involved, identify each person’s role rather than assuming one order can examine everyone’s conduct.

Once you’ve identified the appropriate order, visit its website and look for its complaints section or “Bureau du syndic,” often called the Office of the Syndic in English. This office investigates concerns about members’ professional conduct and is where you’ll submit your request for an inquiry.

Describe What Happened and Request an Inquiry

The next step is to prepare your investigation request. You may feel the need for support during this step, which can be difficult depending on the reason for your complaint. We encourage you to seek support and even psychological assistance if needed. Here is the information you need to prepare your request for an investigation.

Begin with a clear account of the events: when and where they happened, who was involved, what was said or done, and why it concerned you. For example, if consent is the issue, describe what was explained, what you agreed to, and what happened afterward. Include any steps you have already taken to address the situation.

Next, gather relevant records, correspondence, personal notes, and witness details that can support your account. Distinguish what you remember from anything you remain uncertain about.

When your request is ready, submit it with your supporting documents directly to the order’s syndic, following the submission instructions on the order’s website. Keep copies of everything you send.

You can have another person assist you throughout the inquiry process, including when preparing your request. Québec’s Professional Code expressly provides for this support (Le Publications du Québec Minist´re de l’Emploie et de la Solidarit´sociale).

What Happens During the Syndic’s Investigation

After you submit your request, the syndic reviews the information provided and investigates possible breaches of the rules governing the professional’s practice. The syndic is responsible for gathering the evidence but may contact you for further explanation or documents.

The investigation helps determine whether to bring a formal disciplinary complaint before the order’s disciplinary council, the body that decides whether an offence occurred and whether a sanction should be imposed.

The inquiry is confidential at this stage, but that doesn’t mean your identity or account will be withheld from the professional involved. You can ask the syndic what information may be shared and how it will be used.

Investigations can take time. Under Québec’s Professional Code, if the inquiry is unfinished 90 days after receipt of your request, the syndic must send you a written progress report. Further updates must follow every 60 days until the investigation is completed. These deadlines tell you when to expect updates; they don’t mean the investigation must be completed within 90 days.

Know the Possible Outcomes and Your Options for Review

The syndic may propose conciliation where appropriate, decide not to file a disciplinary complaint, or bring a complaint before the order’s disciplinary council. If the syndic files, they will prepare the case and may call you as a witness.

Concerns about competence may also be referred to professional inspection. The syndic must communicate their decision in writing and explain a decision not to file a complaint. You then have 30 days from receiving that decision to request the review committee’s opinion.

If a disciplinary council finds an offence, sanctions can include a reprimand, fine, or restrictions on practice. This process doesn’t award compensation for the harm you experienced. To seek financial compensation, you would need to pursue a separate civil lawsuit against the professional. This is different from a criminal process, which concerns an alleged criminal offence. We will return to this possibility in a future article.

Help Individual Experiences Inform Better Perinatal Care

Documenting concerns gives professional orders an opportunity to examine conduct and address failures to meet professional obligations. For healthcare teams, families’ accounts can also prompt reflection on how communication, consent, and everyday practices are experienced by those receiving care. Although one inquiry doesn’t guarantee broader change, it can bring attention to practices that need to be examined.

Have you requested an inquiry or filed a healthcare complaint? Contact The Movement at info@enfantement.org to let us know. We do not offer legal advice. However, being informed of complaints allows us to identify recurring concerns that can guide our advocacy work toward better policies and practices. Please note, however, that contacting us does not replace filing your complaint with the appropriate authority.Your experience matters. When you’re ready to share it, your voice can help make the need for respectful perinatal care harder to overlook.