What happens when I submit a complaint?

When we receive your complaint, the Patient Experience Team will:

1. acknowledge we have received your complaint and gain consent (if required)
2. enter your feedback into our electronic feedback system
3. forward the complaint to the most appropriate senior staff to review, follow up and/or investigate
4. provide you a response if requested.

When will I receive a response?

• Our timeframe for response can vary based on the complexity of the issues you have raised and the level of investigation required. In some cases, we need to communicate and interview multiple staff, review medical records and gather information to better understand events.
• Less complex complaints may be responded to within 15 working days.
• We aim to have most complaints responded to within 30 working days, however, more complex issues can take several months to provide you a response.
• We encourage you to contact The Patient Experience Team if you would like an update on the progress of your feedback.

Note: If we need to contact you, it will be from a private number. For privacy reasons, we cannot leave a message, unless your voicemail clearly identifies who you are.

Will my care (or the person I complain on behalf of) be affected if I make a complaint?

We reassure you, if you lodge a complaint at Austin Health, it will not negatively impact the care and services you and your family receive from us.

Any information collected by the Patient Experience Team during our review of your complaint will remain confidential and is stored in a separate feedback management system, not in the medical record. This means when you (or the person you are complaining on behalf of) come to Austin Health, the staff will not be able to see that you have made a complaint about our service, in the medical record.

Who can provide feedback?

Anyone can provide feedback.

We are mindful of the importance of maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of a patient, you should ask for their permission prior to complaining. The Patient Experience Team may need to request the patient’s consent for you to act on their behalf and to receive information relating to the complaint. The Patient Experience Team will contact you to request consent, when required.

I want to remain anonymous, is this possible?

Yes, we welcome anonymous feedback.  You can provide feedback anonymously, however this means we will not be able to get in touch with you for more details or to let you know the outcome of your feedback. The Patient Experience Team enter anonymous feedback into our feedback system and forward it to the most appropriate staff member to review. 

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome of my complaint?

The Patient Experience Team will provide a formal response to your complaint when requested. If you feel that your feedback has not been dealt with to your satisfaction, you may find it helpful to contact the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC).

The HCC is:

• the independent office responsible for protecting Victorian’s health rights
• free and impartial
• able to confidentially receive complaints about health service providers.

The HCC can be contacted on 1300 582 113 or you can lodge a complaint with the HCC online.

For more information about the HCC, please visit the HCC website. 

Mental health complaints

If you would like to provide feedback for our Mental Health Service, there are two different ways to do so.

• Contact the Patient Experience Team, who will send your feedback directly to the Mental Health Services Leadership Team. The leadership team will then act to find someone to assist you.
• Contact the Mental Health Complaints Commissioner (MHCC). The MHCC exists to provide an independent facilitator of feedback and complaints and works collaboratively with consumers, families, carers, support people and mental health service staff.

The MHCC can be contacted by calling 1800 246 054 or by emailing help@mhcc.vic.gov.au.

For more information, please visit the MHCC website.