Information about healthcare complaints
The Commission does not manage complaints about health care.
The information on this page will guide you through the complaints process, including links to where you can make a complaint in Australia.
Where to start
Things usually go well when you receive healthcare services, but sometimes, you or someone you care for might have a bad experience or outcome. You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of health care.
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights explains your rights to:
- Access information about your health care
- Provide feedback or make a complaint without it affecting the way that you are treated
- Have your concerns addressed in a transparent and timely way
- Share your experience and participate to improve the quality of care and health services.
Many issues can be resolved quickly by speaking directly to the healthcare workers at the place where you received care or accessed a service.
Most problems can be dealt with at this stage, but in some cases, you might not be satisfied with the response from the healthcare worker involved in your healthcare and might decide to make a complaint to the healthcare service.
Tips for making a healthcare complaint
If you have decided to make a healthcare complaint, here are some tips to help you with the process.
Take your complaint to a different organisation
If you need to take your complaint further, there are other organisations you can contact depending on the state or territory where you live and what your complaint is about.
Contact details for healthcare complaints organisations
NT
Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (Northern Territory)
Web: www.hcscc.nt.gov.au
Phone: 1800 004 474 or (08) 8999 1969
QLD
Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland)
Web: www.oho.qld.gov.au
Phone: 133 646
NSW
Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW)
Web: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au
Phone: (02) 9219 7444
ACT
ACT Human Rights Commission
Web: www.hrc.act.gov.au/complaints
Phone: 02 6205 2222
VIC
Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
Web: www.hcc.vic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 582 113
Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (Victoria)
Web: www.mhwc.vic.gov.au
Phone: 1800 246 054
TAS
Health Complaints Commissioner (Tasmania)
Web: www.healthcomplaints.tas.gov.au
Phone: 1800 001 170
SA
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (South Australia)
Web: www.hcscc.sa.gov.au
Phone: 1800 232 007 or (08) 7117 9313
WA
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (Western Australia)
Web: www.hadsco.wa.gov.au
Phone: 1800 813 583 or (08) 6551 7600
NT
Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (Northern Territory)
Web: www.hcscc.nt.gov.au
Phone: 1800 004 474 or (08) 8999 1969
QLD
Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland)
Web: www.oho.qld.gov.au
Phone: 133 646
NSW
Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW)
Web: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au
Phone: (02) 9219 7444
ACT
ACT Human Rights Commission
Web: www.hrc.act.gov.au/complaints
Phone: 02 6205 2222
VIC
Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
Web: www.hcc.vic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 582 113
Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (Victoria)
Web: www.mhwc.vic.gov.au
Phone: 1800 246 054
TAS
Health Complaints Commissioner (Tasmania)
Web: www.healthcomplaints.tas.gov.au
Phone: 1800 001 170
SA
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (South Australia)
Web: www.hcscc.sa.gov.au
Phone: 1800 232 007 or (08) 7117 9313
WA
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (Western Australia)
Web: www.hadsco.wa.gov.au
Phone: 1800 813 583 or (08) 6551 7600
If your concern is about unsafe care or behaviour by an individual healthcare worker, you can contact the health regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), to discuss your concerns:
- Web: www.ahpra.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 419 495
There are different arrangements in Queensland and New South Wales to handle concerns about individual healthcare workers. The healthcare complaints organisations in these states can help direct you.
You can make complaints about aged care services to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
- Web: www.agedcarequality.gov.au
- Phone: 1800 951 822
These animations result from a joint project between the Commission and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to enhance consumers' experiences of making healthcare complaints in Australia. The final report from this project, Working together to improve consumer healthcare complaints experience, is available here.
The Commission appreciates the involvement of all stakeholders, including consumers with lived experience, in developing these animations.
Share these resources
If you would like to screen the animations at your health service, contact the Partnering with Consumers Program at partneringwithconsumers@safetyandquality.gov.au.