1.1 Purpose
This standard specifies the requirements for health and social service organizations to promote access to safe health and social services in the patient's preferred or required language. The standard provides:
• Health and social service organizations with guidance on how to ensure quality and safety within their unique organizational and language contexts;
• Policymakers with a blueprint for the requirements to recognize health and social service organizations that offer quality health and social service to the official language communities in their jurisdictions; and,
• External assessment bodies with measurable requirements to include in assessment programs of health and social service organizations that offer services to Canada’s official language communities.
The standard is not intended to be used alone, but in conjunction with other HSO standards that apply to health and social service organizations providing health and social services to English-speaking communities in Québec, and French-speaking communities outside of Québec.
1.2 Applicability
This standard applies to health and social service organizations providing health and social services in Canada’s official languages, English and French.