Private Hospitals

Complaints about private hospitals, day procedure centres and bush nursing hospitals

Complaints process

Please contact the Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit if you require further information or have a query about private hospitals and day procedure centres in Victoria.

Step 1 – Raise your concerns with the facility

If you are a patient or wish to complain on behalf of a patient, we encourage you to raise it with the facility complaints officer in the first instance. This is because:

• If you are not happy with your experience at a private hospital or day procedure centre, it is important that the facility management is informed about this.
• If something went wrong the facility will view the complaint as an opportunity to improve its service and put measures in place to help you or other patients in future and make sure the same problems are not repeated.
• Complaints are occasionally due to communication problems. The facility may be able to provide an explanation about why something occurred. Your complaint may help to improve the information given to patients.

Making a complaint to the facility

All facilities are required by law to nominate a complaints officer to deal with complaints made by or on behalf of patients.

Proprietors must take reasonable steps to ensure that every patient and member of staff is informed of the name of the complaints officer. Proprietors are also required to:

• Respond to complaints as soon as practicable; and
• Deal with complaints as discreetly as possible in the circumstances; and
• Inform the complainant of the action taken in respect of the complaint; and
• Take reasonable steps to ensure that the patient or person making a complaint on behalf of a patient is not adversely affected because a complaint has been made.

See the contact details for private hospitals, Day Procedure Centres and Bush Nursing Hopitals on the Private Hospitals homepage.

Step 2 – If you are not happy with the response from the facility

If you are not happy with the facility’s response to your complaint, you can also complain to:

• the Office of the Health Services Commissioner; or
• the Department of Health’s Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit.

Which organisation is the appropriate body to receive your complaint will depend on the nature of the complaint and the outcome you want.

Health Services Commissioner

The Office of the Health Services Commissioner is Victoria’s independent body for receiving and addressing complaints relating to health service providers.

The Health Services Commissioner can be contacted on +613 8601 5222 or toll free on 1800 136 066.

For further information see Health Services Commissioner.

Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit

The Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit is a unit within the Department of Health that is responsible for the regulation of private hospitals, day procedure centres and bush nursing hospitals. The Unit investigates complaints as part of its regulatory responsibility in ensuring compliance with the Health Services Act and Regulations and the safety of patients and quality of care in private facilities.

You can make a complaint to the Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit in the following ways:

Telephone: please call +613 9096 2164 and ask to speak to a Senior Nurse Advisor.

Email: please send your email to privatehospitals@health.vic.gov.au

Post: please write to
Manager
Policy Instruments and Compliance Unit
Strategy, Policy & Finance Division
Department of Health
GPO Box 4541
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

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