What you can do before making a complaint
Before making a complaint to us, and where appropriate to do so, try talking with your health service provider—this can be the quickest and easiest way to address your concerns or try to resolve a problem.
We understand however this might not be possible or appropriate depending on the circumstance. Contact us or complain to us directly if your concerns represent any risk to public safety, or if it is too difficult or upsetting for you to contact your health service provider.
Before contacting your health service provider
Before raising your concerns with your health service provider or to us, it is helpful if you have all of your information on hand including:
- details of what happened and to who
- who else was involved, for example the health practitioner(s)
- where the incident occurred
- when the incident occurred
- the outcome you’re seeking, for example an explanation of what happened and why, an apology or a change to policy or practice to prevent future concerns.
Complain to your health service provider
Often, you can resolve your complaint by talking with or writing to your health service provider. The following advice may assist you if you choose to engage directly with your provider.
- Try to provide as much information as you can about what went wrong, who was involved, and where and when it happened.
- Describe the impact it has had on you and what you would ideally like to happen as a response to your complaint.
- Include how you would like them to contact you in response to your complaint and by when. If you are seeking a written response, a reasonable timeframe is usually 21 days, unless your complaint is against a hospital or health facility. In that case, a reasonable timeframe would be 35 days.
- You can call us or make a health service complaint online / in writing if you have concerns about the response you receive.
Resources
If you decide to make a healthcare complaint, here are some tips to help you with the process.
You may also find additional resources and tips on how to make a complaint about a health service provider on the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website.
After contacting your health service provider
- It is important to keep notes of any discussions regarding your complaint including the date, who you spoke with and what you talked about.
- It is useful to keep copies of any documents relating to your complaint—including letters, emails and receipts, especially if you are going to raise your complaint with the OHO.
- If you do not hear back from the provider after a reasonable timeframe, or if you are unsatisfied with their response, contact us to either ask for our advice via an enquiry or make a complaint.