Patient Ombudsman

The service provider must have a Patient Ombudsman in each of its operating units for the purpose of

• providing advice to the patients on issues related to applying the law
• assisting the patient in filing an objection in a health care unit
• providing information on the patients’ rights
• working to promote and exercise the patients’ rights in any other way.

No specific training requirements have been defined for a patient ombudsman. When you are selecting a patient ombudsman for your company, pay attention to the independent and impartial nature of the patient ombudsman.

The patient ombudsman cannot be: 

• a person providing the service in question
• a spouse or other family member of the service provider
• a person who is in a leading position in the company, or a spouse or other family member of such a person.

The patient ombudsman must express their consent in acting as your company’s patient ombudsman. 

Larger service providers have a designated patient ombudsman who often also acts as a patient ombudsman for companies operating within the service provider’s facility.