Compliments and Concerns
NHH is committed to providing Exceptional patient care. Every time, for every person. We welcome opportunities to hear about your experiences while receiving care so we know what we are doing well and where we can improve.
Compliments may be directed to the program or unit where care was delivered, to our central info@nhh.ca email address or by mail c/o NHH’s Public Affairs Department, 1000 DePalma Drive, Cobourg, Ontario, K9A 5W6. Thank you for your time and your feedback!
Northumberland Hills Hospital is also committed to addressing patient concerns and complaints in a fair and timely manner.
If you have a time-sensitive concern, we recommend that you begin a discussion by sharing your thoughts and concerns with the appropriate patient care manager or program director.
If this discussion does not resolve your concern to your satisfaction, you may wish to contact NHH's Patient Relations Delegate, using one of the three options listed below:
By Mail:
Attention: NHH Patient Relations Delegate
1000 DePalma Drive, Cobourg, ON
K9A 5W6
By Email:
patientrelations@nhh.ca
By Telephone:
905-377-7744
Alternatively, you may also contact one of the following members of NHH's senior leadership team to register a complaint.
Susan Walsh, President and CEO for Northumberland Hills Hospital, may be reached as follows:
By Mail:
Attention: President and CEO
1000 DePalma Drive, Cobourg, ON
K9A 5W6
By Email:
sbwalsh@nhh.ca
By Telephone:
905-372-6811 ext 4004
Jennifer Gillard, Vice President, Patient Experience, Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, may be reached as follows:
By Mail:
Attention: Public Affairs Office, Northumberland Hills Hospital
1000 DePalma Drive, Cobourg, ON
K9A 5W6
By Email:
jgillard@nhh.ca
By Telephone:
905-377-7757
What happens when you make a complaint?
- E-mail and telephone calls will be acknowledged within two business days.
- Letters will be acknowledged within five business days.
- If the person complaining is not the patient, NHH must obtain consent from the patient to discuss their case. In situations involving those patients incapable of giving consent, consent to release information must be obtained from the substitute decision maker.
- We investigate the case based on the information provided. Investigation may include some or all of the following:
- Contacting managers, program directors or other supervisors
- Contacting the care providers who were involved in providing care
- Reviewing the medical chart of the patient
- Contacting other relevant departments involved in patient care or support, such as inpatient nursing, environmental services, nutrition and food services, diagnostic imaging, finance, etc.
- We will contact you with the results of our investigation as soon as possible. We strive to resolve complaints within 30 working days. Some complex matters may take longer than 30 days to resolve, however we will provide you with regular updates regarding the investigation and the status of your complaint.
New - Take Our New Emergency Department Patient Experience Survey
At midnight on March 31, 2025, Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) will begin its transition to a new provincial patient experience measurement program using a new online survey platform, Qualtrics. This survey is short, anonymous and specific to the area in which patients last received care.
In time, the new survey will be available to patients across the hospital and our Community Mental Health offices. To begin, NHH is piloting the new experience survey with Emergency Department patients only.
Effective April 1, 2025, all patients who receive care in the NHH Emergency Department will find a QR code link to the experience survey on their After Visit Summary – the summary of instructions and information provided when patients leave the Emergency Department. Emergency Department patients who have given their consent to receive surveys via email will receive the new patient experience survey that way as well.
Whether it is in survey form or direct through discussion with your care team, patient and family feedback is critical and supports the continuous efforts throughout NHH to honour our Shared Purpose: People First.