Making a Complaint
Complaint Process
Any person with a concern about the conduct or competence of a member of OsteopathyBC is able to make a complaint. Complaints can only be received by filling out the form and must include your full name as OBC does not accept anonymous complaints.
OsteopathyBC is a voluntary association with specific criteria for membership. Not all osteopathic practitioners meet the standards or choose to join the association. OsteopathyBC can only deal with complaints about our members. For more information about the criteria for membership and OsteopathyBC’s standards of practice and ethics please visit the 'About OsteopathyBC' menu.
Once a complaint has been received
The chair of the complaints committee will review the complaint and determine whether it should be accepted for investigation by the Complaints Committee taking into account:
- Whether the complaint concerns the conduct of a member of the society, and
- Whether the complaint relates to conduct that is within the society’s Scope and legal ability to investigate.
If the complaint has been accepted for investigation
The member will be given a chance to respond to the complaint. The chair or an investigator may then further investigate a member’s conduct by taking steps including but not limited to conducting interviews of any person, including the complainant and the member, seeking the advice of external advisors, including legal counsel, and gathering clinical records and other documentation related to the conduct under investigation.
Possible outcomes of the complaint could be as follows:
- Mediate an informal resolution
- Dismiss the complaint
- Issue a reprimand or warning letter
- Request that the member agree in writing to do one or more of the following:
- undertake not to repeat the conduct identified in the complaint
- undertake to take educational courses as specified by the board,
- undertake or consent to any other action specified by the board, or
- Seek to expel the member under section 19 of the bylaws.