Making a formal health care complaint

To make a formal complaint, you need to contact your state or territory health complaints organisation. It can be helpful to check if there are any time limits or other conditions you have to meet. Complaints should be in writing and can often be made by filling in an online form.

If you are unable to make the complaint yourself, then a relative, friend, guardian or health professional may be able to lodge the complaint on your behalf.

In most cases, you will be assigned a case officer, who may provide a copy of the complaint to the health care provider and ask them to give their version of events. Your case officer may also obtain your medical records or other relevant information from the health care provider, with your consent.

Once the case officer has completed their assessment, the relevant state or territory ombudsman or commissioner will write to tell you how they will deal with your complaint. They may decide to refer it to mediation or conciliation, which is when the parties meet to try to agree to a resolution. Public health and safety issues are referred elsewhere within the ombudsman or commission’s office for formal investigation.

Serious cases against a health practitioner may result in prosecution, and some cases can be referred to a registration board or another organisation – learn more about the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and registration boards.