Your Rights
There can be a lot of confusion about your right to an abortion in Canada. Additionally, you may want to know what your rights are as a client of CIHC. Please review this page for information or contact us directly at info@choiceinhealth.ca if you have any questions. Please note that this does not constitute legal counsel.
The legal right to abortion
Canada has no law regarding abortion, which means that abortion is treated like any other medical procedure. Before 1988, however, there was a specific law in Canada that restricted access to abortion. This law was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Morgentaler. In Ontario, abortion is funded by OHIP like any other essential health care service.
Your right not to be harassed when accessing abortion services
CIHC is covered by The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, which prohibits protesting within 50 meters of our facility. This means that you won’t need to walk through protestors to access your abortion. From time-to-time, anti-choice protestors congregate at the corner of Keele and Bloor, which is outside of our 50-meter safe access bubble.
We love feedback
If you had an appointment with us recently, you would have received a website link to our feedback form after you were discharged. Here it is again . We review all feedback very carefully and use this to improve our care.
You can also leave us a google review! This helps other clients find us. Set up an account with an alternate email if you don’t want your review linked to you.
Privacy Policies
At CIHC, we understand that your privacy and how we manage your Personal Health Information (PHI) is of the utmost importance. We have made the process of how we manage your PHI a matter of public record and we employ a Privacy Officer who ensures that your PHI is protected. Please read about PHI and the steps we take to protect your privacy here.
Our Privacy Officer is:
Michelle Gutierrez, Interim Executive Director
1678 Bloor Street West #301, Toronto, ON, M6P1A9
Tel: 647-370-3203
If you have any issues or concerns about how your PHI is being managed, you have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at:
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor St East #1400, Toronto, ON, M4W18A
416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073
Access to your records
Under the Personal Health Information and Protection Act (PHIPA), you have the right to access your medical records at any time. You can make a request in writing or verbally. If emailing or calling, we will need to confirm your identity before releasing any information. CIHC will respond to your request for a copy of your records within 30 days, but may request more time if needed. You also have a right to request a correction to your record. A request for access or a request to alter records may only be refused by CIHC if the reason is consistent with sections 52 or 55 of PHIPA.
Complaints
If you are unsatisfied with the care, treatment, or service you receive at CIHC, you have a right to make a complaint and for that complaint to be considered seriously. Our complaint process involves three essential components:
A culture of openness regarding complaints, where clients feel they can make a complaint without fear of reprisal,
The complaints process is clear and timely, with good communication between the organization and the client throughout, and
CIHC uses complaints to work towards improvements to prevent similar issues from recurring in the future.
There are two types of complaints at CIHC:
Informal complaints: If you don’t wish to have your complaint documented or formerly recorded, but you still want to have your complaint addressed by the management team at CIHC, you can make an informal complaint. Informal complaints can be received verbally in-person, on the phone or via email. If you choose this option you always reserve the right to later make a formal complaint.
Formal complaints: This is a documented complaint using our Client Complaint Form. This form is available online here or in-person at your request in the clinic. A formal complaint is directed to the Executive Director (ED) immediately and if the complaint involves the ED it will be forwarded to the Chair of the Board of Directors. The ED (or Chair of the Board of Directors) will ensure that your complaint is investigated thoroughly, in a timely manner, and that a resolution is reached. You will be kept informed of the investigation and all matters related to the complaint will be thoroughly documented.