Medical
6. Making a Complaint
Authors: Staff Legal Eagle
Firm / Chambers:
Last updated: 20 Aug 2015
- If you are unsatisfied or concerned about the actions of a health service provider, you should seek legal advice as soon as practicable. You can use our free Find a Lawyer directory to contact a lawyer near you.
- Complaints about health professionals can be made to the Health Ombudsman or Commissioner in your state or territory.
- Some hospitals and medical centres have internal dispute committees that investigate patient complaints and take disciplinary actions where appropriate.
- Where applicable you should first lodge a written complaint with the internal committee.
- In all states and territories except for Queensland and New South Wales complaints against health practitioners must be made to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) using form NOTF-00 accessible from https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Make-a-Notification.aspx.
- Complaints are referred to as ‘notifications.’
- In Queensland all complaints about health practitioners must be submitted to the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
- In New South Wales if you are concerned about any health service provider and the service they provide you may make a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission via email, fax or online lodgement at or alternatively in hard copy sent through post.
- See http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Complaints/Make-an-online-complaint.
- The purpose of the commission is to protect public health and safety.
- When you draft your complaint you will need to set out:
- the people involved;
- what, when and where did the incident take place;
- your concerns;
- if you have taken any action such as talking to the health service provider or initiated a complaint through the internal dispute committee; and
- the remedy or relief you are aiming for.
- You should keep all relevant documents as evidence and attach a copy to your complaint.
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