Making a formal health care complaint

To make a formal health care 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 before making a complaint.

Learn more about:

• Overview
• Serious issues
• Health complaints organisations

Overview

Health care 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, 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. With your consent, your case officer may also obtain your medical records or other relevant information from the health care provider.

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 for mediation or conciliation, which is an informal meeting to try to resolve problems.

Serious issues

Issues relating to public health and safety are referred elsewhere within the ombudsman’s or commission’s office for formal investigation.

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

Health complaints organisations

→ READ MORE: Regulation of health professionals