Health Complaints in Queensland: Your Right to an Investigation
As a resident of Townsville, you have the right to complain about the conduct of a health service provider if you feel you have received unacceptable medical treatment. Here’s what you need to know about making a complaint and why you should consider proceeding with one.
Who You Can Complain About
Anyone can make a complaint about a health service or a health professional. This includes private and public hospitals, public health services, and registered providers such as doctors, chiropractors, dentists, and even unregistered practitioners.
Raising Your Concerns
When raising your concerns, it’s best to be direct, and contacting the hospital, facility, or service in question is often the easiest and quickest way to resolve a problem. Be sure to describe the incident, the order of events, and key dates to explain what occurred and what action you would like taken. It’s also important to act quickly, as delays can often make it harder to find a resolution.
Making a Formal Complaint
In certain cases, you may be uncomfortable speaking directly with the health provider, or you may be unhappy with the response. In these cases, a formal health service complaint can be made to the Office of the Health Ombudsman by phone, in writing, or via the website. This independent organisation reviews and investigates health complaints in Queensland and has a range of powers, including the ability to mediate a resolution, refer the complaint to another organisation, or take immediate action against the health service provider.
Why Complaints Are Important
Complaints can stop the same issues from occurring again and can help health providers improve their services. If you’ve had an issue with a particular practitioner or health service provider, it’s possible that others have as well.
Is Compensation an Option?
In some cases, compensation may be an option, but the Health Ombudsman does not have the power to award financial compensation. If you wish to consider your entitlement to compensation due to medical negligence for things such as lost earnings, treatment costs, or care requirements, you will need to seek advice from personal injury lawyers specialising in medical negligence claims.