What is the Health Complaints Commissioner?
The Health Complaints Commissioner is an impartial and independent statutory body. We are not an advocate. The Health Complaints Commissioner acts to promote and protect the rights of people who use health services and to improve the safety and quality of health services in Tasmania.
What is the difference between the Health Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)?
The Health Complaints Commissioner attempts to resolve problems between people who use health services and health service providers, improve the safety and quality of health services in Tasmania, and promote and protect the rights of people who use health services. The Health Complaints Commissioner cannot take any regulatory action against a health service provider.
Ahpra's main role is to protect the public and set standards and policies that all registered health practitioners must meet.
Do we tell Aphra about the complaint?
Yes. We are required to notify Ahpra when we receive a complaint about a registered practitioner. As the complaint continues through the assessment process, we will continue to communicate with Ahpra and keep you informed of the outcome. The complaint may be referred to Ahpra after consultation with the Health Complaints Commissioner for further consideration.
Why are we contacting you?
We will ask the complainant if they resolved the complaint with you first, where appropriate. We may contact you because of an unresolved complaint. This may happen because the complainant did not receive a response, received a response that they were not satisfied with, or were unable to raise their concerns with you directly. We may also contact you about complaints we believe could be quickly resolved between yourself and the health consumer and seek some resolution.
Tips for resolving complaints
When a person makes a complaint about your health service, here are some things to consider when responding:
- The first step is to acknowledge the complaint in a timely manner.
- Outline your complaints process to the person making the complaint
- Be clear about how long you think it will take you to respond to the issues raised in their complaint.
- Make sure you understand the specific issues raised in the complaint and what the person making the complaint is seeking as an outcome.
- Communicate clearly and try to avoid using jargon and technical terms.
- Make sure the person making the complaint can understand the information you are sharing with them.
- Treat people fairly and with objectivity and respect.
- Make sure your response to the complaint is clear and informative. Make sure it addresses the specific issues raised in the complaint.
- Provide information about what the person can do next if they are not satisfied with your response.
- If the complaint highlights any systemic issues, you should refer it to us.
The person making the complaint will often feel their concerns have been acknowledged when you are apologetic, have explained what occurred or the decisions made, acknowledge the person's experiences and explain how it can be prevented from happening again.
Good communication will always help reduce the likelihood of complaints escalating
Our role in your complaint
We will contact you with the details received from the person making the complaint and about the issues identified from unresolved complaints. In most cases, we will ask for any correspondence that you, or someone on your behalf (for example, a practice manager), has provided to the person making the complaint, medical records and any relevant policies, procedures or guidelines.
We will assess the complaint and determine whether it needs to be referred to conciliation, investigation, to Aphra or another body, or closed. In completing the assessment, we act independently and impartially and can make suggestions or recommendation to improve health service delivery.
Notifying medical indemnity insurer
We understand you may be feeling anxious or concerned when a complaint has been made about you. You may wish to consider contacting your insurer or legal advisor.
You can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner and we can talk through your concerns and explain the complaints process to you. It is important to know that this is not a legal process, and we review all information thoroughly and remain impartial.
Contact us
You can contact us by:
- emailing us at health.complaints@healthcomplaints.tas.gov.au
- calling us on 1800 001 170
- visiting us in person at level 6, 86 Collins Street, Hobart, Tasmania