Review of the Health Services (Conciliation and Review) Act

Review of the Health Services (Conciliation and Review) Act

Victoria’s health complaints system

Twenty-five years ago, the Health Services (Conciliation and Review) Act 1987 (the Act) established the role of the Health Services Commissioner (the Commissioner) in Victoria. The Commissioner is responsible for receiving and resolving complaints from people who use health services. Since 1987, the Commissioner has resolved thousands of complaints about public and private health service providers and has contributed to improving our healthcare system.

Reviewing the complaints system

The government is committed to improving every Victorian’s healthcare experience. The Act is an important mechanism for achieving this. Over the past 25 years health services have changed significantly. Healthcare providers face new challenges, new ways of working and new monitoring systems. The Act has been amended from time to time, but it has not been reviewed in detail to address the changed context. In order to ensure that the Act continues to meet the needs of all Victorians, the Minister for Health announced a review of the Act in April 2012.

Terms of reference

The review’s terms of reference are to examine whether changes are required to the Act to:

• reflect best practice in health complaints resolution for all health service users
• strengthen the Commissioner’s role in improving the health system and the patient experience
• respond to a changing health service environment and changes in related federal and state legislation
• address any scope, policy or operational issues in the current legislation.

Guided by the terms of reference, the review aims to ensure that the Act reflects best practice and provides a prompt, responsive and cost-effective system for resolution of health complaints. It also aims to help achieve the government’s health reform priorities.

Expert Review Panel

A five person Expert Review Panel comprising representatives of health service providers, health service users and clinical experts has been appointed to make recommendations on modernising and strengthening the role of the Commissioner and to provide advice on best practice models for resolving health complaints.

The membership of the Panel is:

• Michael Gorton AM, Principal, Russell Kennedy and member, Agency Management Committee of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Panel Chair)
• Mary Draper, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Health Issues Centre and current Chair of the Department of Health’s Participation Advisory Committee
• Sherene Devanesen, Chief Executive Officer, Peninsula Health
• Leon Shapero, medical practitioner, former member, Medical Practitioners’ Board
• Lucy Cuddihy, Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery, Barwon Health.

Consultation

The public consultation process is now closed.

View submissions to the review of the Health Services (Conciliation and Review) Act

Contact

Review of the Health Services (Conciliation and Review) Act
Policy Coordination and Projects Branch
Strategy and Policy Division
Department of Health
50 Lonsdale Street
GPO Box 4541, DX 210311
MELBOURNE  VIC  3001

Email: hscrareview@health.vic.gov.au
Phone: (61 3) 9096 0263
Fax: (61 3) 9096 9211