Complaints
The Nova Scotia College of Dietitians and Nutritionists (NSCDN) protects the public by regulating the registration and licensing of dietitians and safeguarding practice by setting and enforcing professional standards and conduct requirements for the dietetics profession in Nova Scotia. When you interact with a dietetic registrant, you are entitled to receive competent and ethical care. While this is typically what you can expect, there may be occasions when you feel that professional standards are not being upheld.
One of our most important responsibilities is to respond to concerns and investigate complaints about dietitians. We have a responsibility to support safe practice and client safety by responding to concerns raised when a complaint is filed. The College’s complaint process is legislated by the Dietitians Act. The College requires that all complaints include the name of the individual submitting the concern, as dietitians have the right to know who has raised a complaint against them
If you wish to file a complaint, please send your concern to registrar@nscdn.ca. In some cases, it may be more appropriate for the dietitian’s employer to address the issue through their internal disciplinary procedures. If you’re unsure about how to proceed, feel free to contact the NSCDN Registrar, Amanda Connors, for further guidance.
Filing a Complaint
If you decide to file a complaint, it must be submitted in writing. You can either email or mail a letter detailing the specifics of your complaint. If you are unable to provide the details in writing, you may contact the NSCDN to schedule an interview. After the interview, a summary of your complaint will be sent to you for verification and your signature to ensure its accuracy and completeness.
What to include
When making a complaint, be sure to include:
- Dietitian’s name
- Reason for the complaint with as much detail as possible
- Date and time the incident occurred
- Names and contact information for any witnesses to the complaint
- The location of where the incident arose
- Names of those you may have addressed your concerns with
- Details of any discussions with the dietitian about your concerns
- Any supporting documentation you wish to support for consideration
- Your contact information
- Once the College receives a written complaint, an investigation will be initiated and we will contact the registrant to respond to the complaint
Contact
You can submit your written complaint to the NSCDN by email or mail:
Email:
registrar@nscdn.ca
Mail:
Nova Scotia College of Dietitians and Nutritionists
202-1597 Bedford Hwy
Bedford, NS B4A 1E7
After a Complaint Has Been Filed
If a complaint is within the jurisdiction of the NSCDN, the NSCDN will provide the dietitian with a copy of the complaint for a response. The NSCDN will review the complaint and the response to determine how it should be handled. For complaints that do not involve concerns that the registrant may be suffering from incapacity, the NSCDN will do one of the following:
- The NSCDN may determine that the complaint is not appropriate for investigation, as per the Complaints Policies. In that case, you will receive a letter explaining why and you can request a review of the decision within 30 days.
- The NSCDN may suggest that an attempt be made to resolve the complaint that you have with the dietitian
- The NSCDN may refer the complaint to an investigator for further investigation if it believes that it is not appropriate to resolve the complaint in either of the two manners listed above. In this case, you may be contacted for further information.
A complaint involving the possible incapacity of a registrant may be referred to the Fitness to Practice Committee if it is believed to be in the best interest of the public and if the registrant consents. The Fitness to Practice process will deal with the matter of possible incapacity; however, any misconduct matter will still be dealt with by the regular discipline process.
There is no set time limit for resolving a complaint, as the length of an investigation varies with the complexity of the complaint. The NSCDN takes a complaint seriously and makes every attempt to resolve it in an efficient manner.
The NSCDN will notify you in writing of the outcome of your complaint.
