Ontario's ombudsman is calling on the province to increase his workload.

Andre Marin says he's confident hospitals would run better with his help. He wants the authority to investigate what goes on inside Ontario hospitals.

The ombudsman said his office received 375 complaints from patients or loved ones of those in hospital last year.

Complaints ranged from those of inadequate care, unsafe conditions, neglect and abuse in Ontario hospitals.

All complaints were rejected by the ombudsman office because it does not have the authority to dig into hospital affairs.

In an editorial published earlier this week Marin wrote:

"I am confident that they would perform better if they were subject to the scrutiny of my office."

Hospital administrators, including those in Windsor, disagree.

"It's more efficient for the patient or the loved one to get it dealt with by someone at the hospital," Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital spokesperson Steve Erwin said.

He also said all hospitals have a patient advocate, a requirement under the province's Excellent Health for All Act.

Monica Staley handles complaints at Windsor Regional Hospital.

"I deal with patients concerns, questions, anything that a patient may have to deal with or have a question about," she said.

Staley said she gets about 200 complaints a year — some at the patient's bedside.

She said that alone gives her an edge over the ombudsman.