What is The Health Ombudsman?
The Health Ombudsman is a statutory position that must act independently and impartially in the interest of the public. They are generally responsible for receiving and deciding on appropriate actions towards complaints, investigations or enquiries for health services issues, reporting systemic issues, monitoring other departments related to the health industry, minimise health service complaints and report publicly on the performance of health services.
The Health Ombudsman will be able to assist in investigating your complaint completely unbiased. This organisation assists many of those who lodge complaints regarding their health service issues and attempt to resolve the issue on your behalf.
What Can I Complain About?
- Misdiagnosis
- The treatment or care provided
- Inappropriate personal data exposure
- inappropriate behaviour by a provider
- Quality of the health service provided
- How a provider has dealt with your complaint.
Who Can I Complain About?
You can complain about any health service organisation or health service provider regardless of whether they are registered or unregistered.
Health service organisation can include:
- Public or private healthcare facility (Hospital, GPs office)
- Ambulance Services
- Mental health services
- Pharmacy
Registered Health Service Providers include:
- Surgeon
- Nurse- Enrolled, Registered, Clinical or Nurse Practitioners
- Anaesthetist
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologist
- Other medical specialists
- General Practitioners
Unregistered Health Service Providers include:
- Nutritionists
- Dieticians
- Social workers
- Speech pathologists
Complaints Process
In order for the Health Ombudsman to help and assess your complaint, they would need to have as much information as possible.
This department would look at the information provided by yourself and the health care provider in which you have made a complaint about. In some instances, they may need to seek out 3rd party information.
It takes around 30 days for the ombudsman to assess the information and reach a verdict, at which point, yourself and the health care provider will be contacted and advised of the outcome.
If they decide not to take your complaint forward, you will be informed along with a detailed explanation as to why.
However, if they do decide to proceed, they may do the following:
- attempt to facilitate local resolution
- attempt to conciliate the complaint
- refer the complaint to the provider’s registration board, or another organisation
- formally investigate the complaint
- take immediate action against the provider.
How do I make a complaint?
If you have a complaint about the health service that has been provided to then there are few ways to make a complaint.
You can make a complaint on behalf of yourself, a family member, or somebody in your care.
Depending on where your complaint stems from would determine the organisation you will contact.
Health Complaints Commissioner
This independent and impartial department assists in resolving complaints regarding healthcare and healthcare date in the state of Victoria
Contact Details
Phone: 1300 582 113
International: +61 03 9032 3100
Opening Hours
Monday 9am-5pm
Tuesday 9am-5pm
Wednesday 9am-5pm
Thursday 9am-5pm
Friday 9am-5pm
Closed Weekends
Online Services
General Enquiries: Email: hcc@hcc.vic.gov.au
Lodge Complaint Online: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/make-complaint
Department of Health
The Department of Health of Victoria provides a range of services to support, protect and better Victorians healthcare.
https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/making-complaint
Phone: 1300 884 706
Lodging a Complaint Online: https://feedback.dhhs.vic.gov.au/layout.html#/
