In a perfect world every time we sought help from a health professional
we'd be 100 per cent satisfied with how we were treated.
But the world isn't perfect, and like any provider of a service, doctors make mistakes. These mistakes can range from unprofessional behaviour to incompetence or simply a momentary lapse in judgement where the doctor makes a poor decision.
It's important not to accept poor treatment, but to make a complaint about it.
This doesn't just benefit you the consumer, it's also in the community's interests
because it means there's less likelihood of someone else experiencing the same
problem in the future.
In each State and Territory there is now a body that is responsible for dealing
with complaints from people who believe they have not received good health care.
In addition, many individual health services have established processes for hearing
and dealing with complaints within their organisation.
Sometimes the health care services we receive are unsatisfactory. At these times
it is important that the consumer is able to make a complaint about the service,
and to have their concerns investigated and dealt with fairly and impartially.
Making a complaint can be a positive step. Firstly, it can help you by having your
concerns heard and dealt with. Secondly, the information you provide through your complaint can be used to make things better for everyone. Complaints units collect the information from all complaints and use it to identify where things are going wrong.That information can then be used by the service provider to improve the care they provide.
How do complaints units work?
Complaints units have been established by State and Territory governments,
so they don’t all have the same powers or operate in the same way. Some
State/Territory governments have established dedicated units to deal with
complaints about health care. In some states, the Ombudsman deals with health
care complaints.
All complaints bodies are set up with the objective of resolving complaints impartially and fairly. Complaints are always dealt with in confidence and there are usually penalties that prevent a health care provider from penalising a person who makes a complaint.
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Who can make a complaint?
Generally, everyone has the right to make a complaint. They include:
- The person who received the service;
- Their nominated or authorised representative;
- Their carer or relative or guardian;
- A health service provider.
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What can you complain about?
You can complain about any aspect of your care or treatment. That generally
includes complaining about a health service provider who has:
- Failed to provide satisfactory care;
- Failed to provide you with enough information or denied your right to choose;
- Denied you respect, dignity or privacy;
- Been negligent or unprofessional.
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Not sure if you have a complaint?
You have certain rights as a consumer. Consider whether or not these have been
infringed.
Charter of Health Consumer Rights
These rights outline the basic needs of health consumers:
- The right to satisfaction of basic needs - food, clothing, shelter, health care and education.
- The right to safety - protection against products, production processes and services which are hazardous to health or life.
- The right to be informed - given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.
- The right to choose - to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.
- The right to be heard - to have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy and in the development of products and services.
- The right to redress - to receive a fair settlement of just claims, including
compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory
services.
- The right to consumer education - to acquire knowledge and skills needed
to make informed, confident, choices about goods and services, while
having an awareness of basic consumer rights and responsibilities
- The right to a healthy environment - to live and work in an environment
which is non-threatening to the well being of present and future
generations.
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How do you make a complaint?
The first step is to contact the complaints body in your State or Territory.
The complaints body may encourage you to try to resolve your complaint directly
with the provider. They will be able to give you some advice on how to do this and may even be able to help.
If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint is handled in the complaints
body in your State, you should try contacting the professional registration body
in your state.
Most health practitioners are required to be registered to practice through a
registration board (see Organisations).
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Complaints about private health insurance
Complaints about private health insurance are dealt with by the
Private Health Insurance Ombudsman.
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Complaints about fees or anti-competitive practices
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent
statutory authority which administers the Trade Practices Act and the Prices
Surveillance Act. It monitors prices, costs and profits and anti-competitive and
unfair market practices.
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Problems or queries about medicines or medical devices
Problems about adverse events arising from a medicine or medical device should
be directed to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) which is the
government agency that regulates the marketing of medicines and medical devices.
Problems with or concerns about the quality of medicines (including
complementary medicines and medical devices) can also be referred to the TGA.
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Complaint Bodies in Your State or Territory:
New South Wales
NSW Health Care Complaints Commission
Locked Mail Bag 18
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
DX: 11617 Sydney Downtown
Phone: 02 9219 7444
Toll free: 1800 043 159
TTY: 02 9219 7555
Telephone interpreter service: 131450
http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au
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Victoria
Health Services Commissioner
30th Floor,
570 Bourke Street,
Melbourne Vic 3000
Phone: 03 8601 5200
Toll free:1800 136 066
TTY: 1300 550 275
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc/
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Queensland
Health Rights Commission
GPO Box 3089
Brisbane Qld 4001
Phone: 07 3234 0272
Toll free: 1800 077 308
TTY: 07 3225 2559
http://www.hrc.qld.gov.au
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South Australia
State Ombudsman of South Australia
Level 5 East Wing
50 Grenfell Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: 08 8226 8699
Toll free: 1800 182 150
http://www.ombudsman.sa.gov.au
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Tasmania
Tasmanian Health Complaints Commissioner
GPO Box 960,
Hobart Tas 7001
Phone: 03 6233 6348
Toll free: 1800 001 170
www.justice.tas.gov.au/health_complaints/home.html
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West Australia
Office of Health Review
GO Box B61
Perth WA 6838
Phone: 08 9323 0600
Toll free: 1800 813 583
http://www.healthreview.wa.gov.au
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Northern Territory
Darwin:
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
GPO Box 1344
Darwin NT 0800
08 8999 1969
Toll free: 1800 806 380
Alice Springs:
PO Box 2388
Alice Springs NT 0871
Phone no. 08 8951 5818
Toll free: 1800 806 380
http://www.nt.gov.au/omb_hcscc/HCSCC/welcomehh.htm
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Australian Capital Territory
The Community and Health Services Complaints Commissioner
GPO Box 1321
Canberra ACT 2601
Phone: 02 6205 2222
TTY: 02 6205 1666
http://www.healthcomplaints.act.gov.au/c/hcc
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Other useful contacts:
Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner
133 Castlereagh Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9284 9800
Privacy hotline: 1300 363 992
http://www.privacy.gov.au
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Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
Suite 1202, Level 12
St. Martins Tower
31 Market Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9261 5855
Complaints hotline: 1800 640 695
http://www.phio.org.au
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Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
PO Box 1199
DICKSON, ACT 2602
Information Line: 1300 302 502
http://www.accc.gov.au/about/about.htm
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Therapeutic Goods Administration
PO Box 100
Woden ACT 2606
Toll free: 1800 010 624
http://www.tga.gov.au/
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Source: Consumer Health Forum of Australia
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