There are some things to consider if you want to complain about a health professional.

Do your research

Have a look on their website and any written information they have given you. Do the services and facilities they have promised to provide patients match what you have experienced? If not, refer to this in your complaint.

Health professionals work to a Code of Ethics. This is a set of ‘rules’ regarding their behavior in the workplace, including how they relate to their clients and how they deal with your personal information. Finding a copy of this that is relevant to the particular health professional you are complaining about may be helpful. For example, doctors work to the Australian Medical Association (A.M.A.) Code of Ethics. See Get Started for a link to the Australian Medical Association’s Code of Ethics.

Most health care professionals have a peak body in Australia who can answer questions, give guidance as to expectations on services, and support you to make a complaint.

The first step

Contact the health professional involved or their immediate manager first. You can also communicate with them in writing. Give clear information about the nature of your complaint, any relevant details and your contact information.

I’m not happy with their answer or it is taking too long, what can I do?

If the person works for a government department or an organisation, you can go to the manager of that department.

The Office of Health Complaints Commissioner in Tasmania (also called the Ombudsman) looks at complaints about health professionals.  They will consider complaints about the following areas:

– if you think your care was not satisfactory or reasonable;

– if you did not understand what happened with your health care;

– if you think you weren’t treated fairly or with respect.

You can lodge a complaint with them about all health services in Tasmania including:

– hospitals;

– medical and dental practices;

– pharmacies;

– ambulance services;

– mental health services;

– some disability services;

– all health care workers.

See Get Started for information on how to contact the Health Complaints Commission.

Most medical professionals are regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (A.H.P.R.A.). Anyone can make a complaint or raise a concern about a registered health practitioner or student with them.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency deals with complaints or concerns about:

– the behaviour of a registered practitioner causing risk to the public;

– a practitioner providing care in an unsafe way;

– the health practitioner having a health issue which is affecting their work, including drug or alcohol use.

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency oversees the following professional groups:

– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers;

– Chinese medicine;

– chiropractors;

– dental;

– medical;

– medical radiation;

– nursing and midwifery;

– occupational therapy;

– optometry;

– osteopathy;

– paramedicine;

– pharmacy;

– physiotherapy;

– podiatry.

See Get Started for information on how to contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

If the health profession you are looking for is not on this list, you can go to the peak body for that profession. The peak bodies for most organisations can be found by typing in the profession, followed by ‘complaints’ into your favourite search engine. For example, if your complaint is about speech pathology, type in ‘speech pathology complaints.’