How do I complain about a healthcare professional or service provider?

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the Health Services Commissioner at the ACT Human Rights Commission.
To make a complaint, you need to fill in this online form.

The ACT Human Rights Commission will assess your complaint and could:

• recommend conciliation
• refer a complaint to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)
• discontinue the complaint.

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or health care professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.

Put your complaint in writing and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

The Health Care Complaints Commission will assess your complaint within 60 days and could:

• recommend conciliation
• refer it to another body such as the Information and Privacy Commission or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• investigate the complaint and refer it to another body such as the relevant health professional council
• discontinue the complaint.

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or health care professional, talk to another doctor or health care professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (HCSCC).

Make your complaint electronically, orally or in writing and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

The HCSCC will assess your complaint. It could decide to:

• take no further action
• investigate
• conciliate
• refer it to another body help to resolve the complaint such as the Medical Practitioners Board.

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO).

Make your complaint in writing or orally and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

Provide any supporting documents if you have them.

The Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) will assess your complaint and could:

• take no further action
• investigate
• conciliate
• take immediate action (impose restrictions and bans on individual health service providers who are a risk to public health and safety)

• refer it to another body help to resolve the complaint such as the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra) 
• refer the matter to the Queensland Civil and Administration Tribunal (QCAT).

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the South Australian Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC).

Make your complaint in writing electronically or in hard copy and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

Provide any supporting documents if you have them.

The HCSCC will assess your complaint and could: 

• request you try to resolve the issue directly with the health service
• run informal mediation between you and the health service provider
• bring the parties together to address details of the complaint.
• refer it to another body to help resolve the complaint.

Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner Tasmania.

Make your complaint in writing online or in hard copy and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

The Health Complaints Commissioner will try to resolve the complaint through conciliation.

If the Health Complaints Commissioner decides it is a serious matter affecting standards of care, it will refer the matter to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). 

The Health Complaints Commissioner may achieve:

• an apology
• an explanation
• a refund of out-of-pocket expense
• a change in policy or procedure
• compensation.

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the Health Complaints Commissioner.

Make your complaint in writing, by phone, online or in hard copy and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

Provide any supporting documents if you have them.

The Health Complaints Commissioner will assess your complaint and could:

• investigate
• conciliate
• refer it to another body help to resolve the complaint such as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

Your complaint could achieve:

• an explanation about what happened and why
• an apology
• access to treatment
• access or amendment to health records
• a refund or compensation
• a change in policy or practice to prevent future problems.

Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or health service provider about why you are unhappy about the care or advice you received.

If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor or healthcare professional, talk to another doctor or healthcare professional at the practice or a practice manager.

If you are unhappy with the response you received, make a complaint to the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO).

Make your complaint in writing electronically or in hard copy and explain:

• Who was involved?
• What happened and when?
• What are you concerned about?
• Have you done anything else to address this matter?
• What do you want to happen now?

Provide any supporting documents if you have them.

The HaDSCO will assess your complaint and it could: 

• investigate

• conciliate
• refer it to another body help to resolve the complaint such as the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

The HaDSCO could help you achieve: 

• an explanation about what happened and why
• an apology
• access to treatment
• access or amendment to health records
• a refund or waiver of fees
• staff training
• a change in policy or procedures to prevent future problems
• introduction of new policies.