In Australia, health care users have legal rights.
This webpage provides links to a range of organisations you can contact if you would like to make a comment or complaint about an individual health care provider or a service.
These organisations may also be helpful if you want to advocate for a change in policy related to a particular health issue.
Federal Organisations
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care aims to improve health outcomes and experiences for all patients and consumers and improve value and sustainability in the health system by leading and coordinating national improvements in the safety and quality of health care.
Within this, the Commission aims to ensure people are kept safe when they receive health care and that they receive the health care they should.
The Commission publishes the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights which describes the rights that you, or someone you care for, can expect when receiving health care.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the National Boards work together to ensure that Australia’s registered health practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, with the aim of keeping health care users safe.
Each health profession that is part of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme is represented by a National Board.
The primary role of the Boards is to protect the public, and they are also responsible for registering practitioners and students, publishing standards, regulatory codes and guidelines, as well as other functions, for their professions.
The role of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) is to champion fairness through investigating complaints, facilitating resolutions and making recommendations to improve the regulation of Australia’s registered health practitioners.
NHPO provides oversight of bodies in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (National Scheme), including Ahpra, the 15 National Boards (see above) and accreditation organisations, including specialist medical colleges (see below).
The role of the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman (the Office) is to help resolve complaints. The Office does not make new decisions, rather it considers the way a decision was made and makes recommendations on how the decision, or process, could be improved.
The Office can also help people make a complaint to the health care provider or organisation that the complaint is about.
People with disability have the right to complain about the services they receive under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
If you have a concern about your current NDIS supports or services and have not been able to resolve it by talking to the NDIS provider, you can contact the NDIS Commission.
The NDIS Commission works with participants and providers to improve the quality and safety of NDIS services and supports.
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is the national leadership body for First Nations health in Australia. NACCHO members operate Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) in urban, regional, and remote Australia. Health care users and carers who would like support from an ACCHO can find their details on the NACCHO website.
The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH) is a community-based, national not-for-profit organisation led by, for and with women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
They increase migrant and refugee women’s opportunities for health and wellbeing in Australia through bilingual health education, advocacy and leadership.
State and Territory Agencies
The ACT Human Rights Commission handles complaints about the provision of health services in the ACT and complaints about access to and integrity of health records in the ACT.
The Health Services Commissioner deals with complaints about all health services provided in the ACT – public and private, services provided in a hospital, a general practice and all individual registered practitioners.
Complaints about individual practitioners may be managed in conjunction with Ahpra.
The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission acts to protect public health and safety by resolving, investigating and prosecuting complaints about health care. Its role is to protect the health and safety of individuals and the community.
The Commission deals with complaints about health organisations, registered health practitioners and non-registered health practitioners.
The Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (HCSCC) is an independent office that offers impartial complaint handling.
The HCSCC aims to resolve complaints, contribute to service improvement, promote the rights and responsibilities of service users and service providers, promote service safety and engage with the NT community.
The Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) manages complaints and notifications about health services provided in Queensland. OHO handles complaints about registered health practitioners and students as well as unregistered health practitioners, health service organisations and facilities.
OHO uses a co-regulatory model with Ahpra when dealing with complaints and notifications.
The South Australian Office of the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HSCC) helps consumers, carers and service providers – this includes government, private and non-government health and community services – to try and resolve complaints.
The HSCC receives and assesses complaints, improves the safety and quality of health services, promotes good complaint handling, monitors trends and provides information and education services.
The HSCC also supports consumers and service providers with complaints.
The Tasmanian Health Complaints Commissioner looks into complaints from health service consumers about the provision of health services in both the public and private sectors.
The Commissioner’s role is to promote and protect the rights of consumers who use health services, resolve problems between users and health providers and improve the safety and quality of health services in Tasmania.
The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner works to resolve complaints about health care and the handling of health information in Victoria.
It can also investigate matters and review complaints data to help health service providers improve the quality of their service. The service aims to act independently and impartially.
What to Expect from a Health Service offers information on service levels as well as a general code of conduct for health service providers.
The WA Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) is an independent Statutory Authority providing an impartial resolution service for complaints relating to health, disability and mental health services in Western Australia and the Indian Ocean Territories.
HaDSCO service provision covers the public, private, not-for-profit sectors, prison health services and immigration detention centres.
Specialist Medical Colleges
Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) is the professional body for sport and exercise physicians and sport and exercise medicine in Australasia.
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) is the not-for-profit organisation responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards in emergency medicine in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) sets professional medical standards for training, assessment, certification and continuing professional development in the specialty of general practice in rural and remote areas.
Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) is the accredited training body and peak professional and membership organisation for medical specialists in dermatology.
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) is the college responsible for training, assessing, and setting standards for all specialist anaesthetists and specialist pain medicine physicians wishing to practice in Australia and New Zealand.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) is the part of ANZCA responsible for the training, examination and continuing education of specialist pain medicine physicians and for standards of clinical practice in Australia and New Zealand.
The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) is the professional body responsible for intensive care medicine specialist training and education in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) aims to provide a community for dentists to access ongoing professional development, forge a supportive network of peers, mentors and mentees, and promote the improvement of oral health in the community.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) aims to support GPs through professional development and by creating resources and guidelines to enable GPs to provide high quality care.
The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) is a specialist medical college that provides education, training, knowledge and advice in medical management.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) connects and trains medical specialists and trainees from 33 different specialties across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Adult Medicine Division (AMD) is the Division of the RACP that represents and connects Adult Medicine Fellows and trainees in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) is the Faculty of the RACP that provides training and continuing education for Rehabilitation Medicine Fellows and Trainees throughout all stages of their career.
The Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) is the Faculty of the RACP that connects and represents Occupational and Environmental Medicine Fellows and trainees in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM) is the Faculty of the RACP that works to achieve a high standard of population health in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Paediatrics and Child Health Division is the RACP Division responsible for overseeing policy and advocacy work relating to children and young people across Australia and New Zealand.
Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM) is the RACP Chapter and has a role shaping policy on end of life and the specialist care of people with terminal illnesses and chronic health conditions.
The Australian Chapter of Addiction Medicine (AChAM) is the RACP Chapter responsible for shaping policy on a wide range of substance use and addiction disorders.
The Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM) is the RACP Chapter responsible for shaping policy on healthy sexual relations.
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) is a non-profit organisation that trains surgeons and maintains surgical standards in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) is the medical college responsible for the training and professional development of ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand.
This includes continuing professional development, vocational training and scientific meetings.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) trains and accredits doctors in the specialties of obstetrics and gynaecology so that they can provide the highest standards of health care.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) is the college responsible for training, educating and representing psychiatrists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and setting and promoting professional standards.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) is a not-for-profit professional organisation for clinical radiologists and radiation oncologists in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Singapore.
This college offers training programs, accreditation for overseas-trained specialists, and continuing professional development.
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) aims to promote the study and understanding of disease and how it is diagnosed and managed by sponsoring key pathology projects. The college trains and supports pathologists to improve the use of pathology testing to achieve better health care.
This list of specialist medical colleges is from the Australian Medical Council.
