Saskatchewan · College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan
How to respond to a CPSS complaint
The single thing that changes how you should act: in Saskatchewan, your written response to the Registrar’s Office is not a courtesy — it is evidence. It is read by the Executive Committee when it decides whether there are reasonable grounds to believe you may be guilty of unprofessional conduct, and it can be used against you later.
Before you write a word: telephone the CMPA. Do not send a response, an apology, or an explanation to the College until you have taken advice. Do not contact the complainant, and do not alter, annotate or “tidy” the chart — a late amendment is far more damaging than the original entry.
Who regulates you, and under what law
Medicine in Saskatchewan is regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) under The Medical Profession Act, 1981 (c. M-10.1), together with the College’s regulatory bylaws and the Code of Ethics incorporated in bylaw 7.1. Unlike Ontario physicians, who hold a certificate of registration, Saskatchewan physicians hold a licence, and the Act speaks of members of the College.
The conduct the College can act on is defined broadly. Section 46 of the Act makes a physician liable to discipline for unbecoming, improper, unprofessional or discreditable conduct — the wording used in almost every CPSS charge, usually cited as s.46(o) and s.46(p), and frequently paired with a breach of the Code of Ethics or a regulatory bylaw. It is a wide net: it captures clinical care, but also billing, records, honesty with the College, boundaries and behaviour towards colleagues and staff.
How a complaint arrives
Complaints are made to the College and handled by the Registrar’s Office. They come from patients and families, but also from colleagues, employers, health authorities, other regulators and government bodies — and the College can act on information it obtains itself. You will normally learn of the matter through a letter from the Registrar’s Office setting out the concern and asking you to respond in writing, usually with the relevant chart.
Your written response: the part that matters
This is where cases are won and lost. Your response goes into the file that the Executive Committee considers when it decides whether there are reasonable grounds to believe you may be guilty of unbecoming, improper, unprofessional or discreditable conduct — and, if so, whether to direct that a preliminary inquiry committee be appointed to investigate. A thin, defensive or evasive response invites escalation. A clear, complete, chart-anchored one can end the matter.
Some hard-won principles:
- Answer the question actually asked. Address each concern in turn, in the order raised, and say plainly what you did and why.
- Anchor everything to the record. Quote or attach the contemporaneous notes. Where the record is thin, say so honestly rather than reconstructing from memory as though it were documented.
- Never mislead the College. This cannot be overstated: CPSS Council has disciplined physicians specifically for providing false or misleading information to the College in the course of responding to a complaint, and for giving false information to a preliminary inquiry committee. A dishonest answer converts a survivable clinical complaint into a probity case, which is far graver.
- Show insight where it is due. Acknowledging a shortcoming, and setting out what you have already changed, is not a confession — it is the material the College weighs when deciding whether you need to be disciplined or simply need to have learned.
- Keep the tone measured. Contempt for the complainant, or for the process, reads badly on the page and has itself attracted comment from Council.
Cooperation is not optional
Saskatchewan is unusually firm on this point. Failing to cooperate with a College investigation is treated as unprofessional conduct in its own right. CPSS Council has imposed a reprimand and a suspension on a physician for failing to provide information and documents requested by a preliminary inquiry committee and for refusing to be interviewed by it — entirely separately from the underlying complaints. Whatever you think of the allegation, engage with the process, through counsel.
What the College can do while it looks at the complaint
Most complaints do not disturb your practice while they are considered. But the College has protective powers, and in serious cases — where patients may be at risk — conditions or a suspension can be imposed before any final decision is reached. If you are told the College is considering interim action, that is a moment for urgent CMPA involvement, not a moment to argue the merits by letter.
Where a complaint can end up
After the Registrar’s Office and the Executive Committee have considered the matter, it may be closed with no action, resolved informally, or escalated. Escalation means a preliminary inquiry committee is appointed to investigate — the subject of our next guide — and, if the evidence supports it, Council may direct that charges be heard by a discipline hearing committee under s.47.5 of the Act.
One further practical point: CPSS publishes Council and discipline decisions on the physician’s profile on its website. A complaint that closes quietly leaves no public trace; a disciplinary outcome does. That asymmetry is the strongest possible argument for taking the first letter seriously.
Key takeaways
- The CPSS regulates Saskatchewan physicians under The Medical Profession Act, 1981; s.46 covers unbecoming, improper, unprofessional or discreditable conduct.
- Complaints are handled by the Registrar’s Office; the Executive Committee decides whether there are reasonable grounds to appoint a preliminary inquiry committee.
- Your written response is evidence, not correspondence — it is read when that decision is made and can be used at a hearing.
- Never mislead the College. Providing false or misleading information in a complaint response is itself a disciplinary charge, and a grave one.
- Cooperation is compulsory. Failing to cooperate with a preliminary inquiry committee has, on its own, drawn a reprimand and suspension.
- Call the CMPA before responding. Discipline outcomes are published on your CPSS profile; a closed complaint is not.
Related CPD courses
Structured CPD you can complete and evidence while your matter is live.
Dealing with a Complaint or Investigation Professionally How to engage with a regulator’s process without making the position worse — tone, structure and what not to say. Documentation for Healthcare Professionals Why the contemporaneous record decides most complaints, and how to write notes that withstand later scrutiny. Effective Communication for Healthcare Professionals Communication failures underlie a large share of complaints; this covers the consultation habits that prevent them. Duty of Candour for Healthcare Professionals Being open when something goes wrong — and the difference between candour and an admission that damages you.These are independent CPD courses. They are not approved or accredited by the CPSS, they do not satisfy any course the Council may order (Council typically names or must approve the programme), and no course can guarantee an outcome.
Continue reading
What happens during a CPSS investigation?→ Remediation and reflection for Saskatchewan doctors→Frequently asked questions
Do I have to respond to a CPSS complaint?
Yes. You will be asked to respond in writing, and cooperation with the College is not optional — failing to cooperate with a College investigation is itself treated as unprofessional conduct in Saskatchewan. Respond, but do so with CMPA advice.
Can my response be used against me?
Yes. It forms part of the file the Executive Committee considers and can be used in later proceedings. That is precisely why it should be prepared carefully, with advice, rather than dashed off defensively.
Should I contact the patient to sort it out?
No. Do not contact the complainant once a complaint is with the College. Any explanation or apology should be routed through the process, on CMPA advice.
Will the complaint appear on the public register?
A complaint that is closed without action does not become a public disciplinary record. Council and discipline decisions, however, are published on the physician’s profile on the CPSS website.
What happens if the Executive Committee finds reasonable grounds?
It can direct that a preliminary inquiry committee be appointed to investigate. That committee gathers documents, may interview you, and reports on whether the allegations are supportable.
Can the College restrict my practice before deciding anything?
In serious cases where patients may be at risk, protective conditions or a suspension can be imposed while a matter is considered. If interim action is raised, involve the CMPA immediately.
This guide concerns the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) and is general information only — it is not legal advice and does not create any relationship of advice or representation. If you have received a complaint, a request from the Registrar’s Office, or notice of a preliminary inquiry committee, contact the CMPA immediately and take advice from a lawyer experienced in Saskatchewan medical regulatory matters before you respond. Healthcare Ethics Courses is an independent CPD provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the CPSS. Last updated 14 July 2026.