You have a right to file a complaint if you believe that your patient rights were violated during your medical treatment or your medical data were not protected. You also have a right to compensation if your health or life were harmed during your medical treatment.
Complaints regarding medical treatment
Complaint to the medical institution
If you have encountered issues during your medical treatment, you may first turn to the respective medical institution. You may contact your doctor, the head of the department or the head of the medical institution.
example A doctor determines a diagnosis after an examination of your medical records. When you ask for an explanation about what it means, the doctor refuses to provide detailed information and offers for you to read about it on the internet yourself. You may complain to the clinic’s administration about the non-observance of your right to information about your health condition.
Complaint to the Health Inspectorate
If your claim is not solved after turning to the doctor or medical institution, you may submit your complaint to the Health Inspectorate. The application can be submitted no later than 2 years from the date of the alleged violation.
Depending on the gravity of the violation, the Health Inspectorate may:
- order the medical institution to correct the violations
- issue a warning to the medical institution
- suspend the work of a medical institution
- apply an administrative fine to a medical professional or the head of a medical institution
- order the return of funds to the state budget or to the patient, etc.
Appeal
You can appeal a decision of the Health Inspectorate to the Head of the Health Inspectorate and subsequently, to the administrative court.
note Each complaint is evaluated individually. Most violations are examined and rectified by the Health Inspectorate. However, if there are signs of a criminal offense, the materials are forwarded to police to commence a criminal investigation. The police may also begin a criminal investigation on their own initiative.
example Negligence by a medical practitioner which has caused serious or moderate bodily injury to a patient is a criminal offence under the Latvian Criminal Law.
You have the right to file an application to the court to protect your patient rights and interests, if the issues you have encountered cannot be solved through turning to the Health Inspectorate.
Compensation for harm to a patient’s life or health
If your life or health was harmed during your medical treatment, you can apply to the Health Inspectorate, requesting compensation from the Medical Treatment Risk Fund for:
- harm (also moral harm) caused to your life or health
- medical expenses caused to you to prevent or reduce the effects of that harm
note Compensation has a limit determined by the law. For harm (also moral harm) caused to your life or health – not more than 142,290 EUR; for medical expenses caused – not more than 28,460 EUR.
Claims for compensation from the Medical Treatment Risk Fund are reviewed by the Health Inspectorate.
note If a patient dies, the patient's heir has the right to submit a claim for compensation.
Complaints regarding medical data protection
You also have the right to complain to the Data State Inspectorate if the information which concerns your health - your medical data - has been unlawfully processed, for example, unlawfully disclosed to other persons or institutions.
Read more about how to complain about potential violations regarding your medical data protection.