The practice has appointed the Practice Manager with designated responsibility for seeking, collecting, analysing, investigating, resolving, and managing all feedback and complaints. Any investigation and resolution of complaints is undertaken using an open disclosure process, incorporating the following:
- Acknowledge the patient’s right to complain.
- Acknowledge receipt of the complaint as soon as possible, but within two (2) working days.
- Respond to all complaints as soon as reasonably practicable, but within thirty (30) days in an open and constructive manner including an explanation and if appropriate an apology.
- If a resolution of the matter is to take longer than thirty (30) days, an update of the resolution activities will be provided to the patient, with an anticipated revised timeframe for resolution.
- Work with the patient to resolve the complaint and communicate the outcome with the patient, including any changes made as a result of the complaint.
- As a routine, contact the practice’s insurer when there is a complaint about a member of the medical or clinical team in order to seek advice on resolving the complaint before any action is taken.
- Where a complaint is made against a practice team member, provide the team member with an opportunity to discuss the details in a private setting.
- Ensure the complaint does not adversely affect the patient’s care.
- Record the complaint, investigation, and actions in the dedicated complaints file and, if related to patient care, include a copy in the patient’s health record.
- Ensure, where appropriate, complaints are reviewed at practice team meetings; analyse trends and discuss the methods of resolution.
- Review other types of patient feedback (i.e. feedback surveys, suggestion box) during practice team meetings.
- Keep a record of improvement(s) made in response to feedback or complaints.
- Where appropriate, inform the patient about practice improvements made as a result of their input.
If the matter cannot be resolved, the patient is advised about how to contact the external health complaints agency for our state.
Victoria
Office of the Health Services Commissioner
Telephone: 1300 582 113
Complaints that relate to privacy issues or concerns that cannot be resolved internally are to be directed to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Telephone: 1300 363 992
Postal Address: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
Web: www.oaic.gov.au
Members of the public may make a notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) – www.ahpra.gov.au – about the conduct, health or performance of a practitioner or the health of a student. Practitioners, employers, and education providers are all mandated by law to report notifiable conduct relating to a registered practitioner or student to AHPRA.