FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS

Complaints

About

The College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM) expects its registrants to practise physiotherapy ethically and competently, such as:

  • Deliver appropriate care to patients
  • Maintain required records
  • Maintain patient confidentiality
  • Adhere to ethical billing practices
  • Maintain adequate skills

See Code of Ethics for more information.

CPM governs its registrants to protect the public and ensure that all Manitoban’s receive quality care. If a member of the public is concerned about a physiotherapist’s conduct or competency, they may file a formal complaint with CPM. They must follow the Process outlined on this page

Process

If your patient has a concern about their physiotherapy treatment or your conduct, they may wish to discuss this with you or your supervisor. If they are not comfortable doing so or have communicated their concern and are unsatisfied with the response, they may follow these steps to file a formal complaint against you with the College of Physiotherapist of Manitoba (CPM).

Step 1: File Complaint
The individual will be asked to write a letter to CPM to provide information about their complaint against you (a registrant of the College). They are asked to state their concern clearly and provide as much detail as possible and mail or e-mail the letter to the Registrar of CPM.

Step 2: Complaints Committee
CPM will refer the complaint to the Complaints Committee. Both parties will receive written notice when this happens. The Complaints Committee is a committee of:

  • Physiotherapists who are members of CPM
  • Public members who are not physiotherapists

You are advised to:

  • contact your malpractice insurance carrier immediately upon learning of a complaint against you
  •  not contact the complainant/client named in the complaint.

Step 3: Decision
The Complaints Committee will review the complaint and decide on a course of action such as:

  • Resolve the complaint informally
  • Make a decision if the letter is informative enough to do so
  • Order an investigator to gather more information and provide a report (The investigator may need to interview you)

The Complaints Committee has a number of options to resolve the complaint, including:

  • Refer the matter to the Inquiry Committee for a formal legal hearing into your conduct
  • Censure you
  • Refer the matter to mediation if both you (the physiotherapist) and the complainant are both in agreement
  • Enter into an agreement with you that may include consequences such as conditional practice and/or supervised practice

The Complaints Committee will provide both parties with written notice of its decision and the reasons for the decision.

Appeal
In some cases the Complainant may appeal the decision made by the Complaints Committee. To do so, the complainant is requested to submit a written appeal to CPM within 30 days of the date that they are notified of the decision.

If you require this information in a printable format, please use the document below.

Complaints Information (PDF)

This publication is available in alternate formats on request.