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?
- diagnosis
- The treatment or care provided
- sharing your information without permission
- inappropriate behaviour by a provider
- the 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 Service
- Mental health service
- Pharmacy
Registered Health Service Providers include:
- Doctor
- Nurse
- GP
- Physiotherapists
- occupational therapists
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.
They look at the information provided by yourself and the health care provider in which u have made a complaint about. In some instances, they may need to seek out 3rd party information.
It generally takes around 30 days for the ombudsman to asses all the information and reaches a verdict, at which point, yourself and the health care provider will be contacted.
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.
National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner
This department focuses on the regulation of Health Practitioners and regulates them according to regulations and laws.
https://nhpopc.gov.au/about-us/
Contact Details
Phone: 1300 795 265
Email: complaints@nhpopc.gov.au
Postal Address: Level 22/50 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, AEST. A voicemail service is available outside these hours or if we are unavailable to accept your call.
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission
The Commission deals with complaints about health services provided in New South Wales, Australia. The Commission is impartial and acts to protect the public health and safety.
http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Home
Contact Details
Phone: 1800 043 159
9am to 5pm (Sydney time) weekdays. Free call from landline phones anywhere in NSW, call charges may apply from a mobile phone.
Online Services
Online Enquiry: https://ecomplaints.hccc.nsw.gov.au/inquiry
Make a Complaint Online: https://ecomplaints.hccc.nsw.gov.au/myComplaint
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
The role of the Agency Management Committee is to oversee the affairs of AHPRA, to decide its policies, and to ensure AHPRA functions properly, effectively and efficiently working with the National Health Practitioner Boards to regulate health practitioners.
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
Online Services
Check if your Health Practitioner is Registered: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
Lodge a Complaint Online: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Make-a-complaint.aspx
General Online Enquiries: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/About-AHPRA/Contact-Us/Make-an-Enquiry.aspx
