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Our commitment to you: Listen, respond, learn.
The purpose of Ahpra’s Complaints Management Framework is to listen to the concerns raised by people, and respond to complaints promptly, empathetically and fairly. We are committed to excellent customer service and continuous improvement. Our principles guide our actions in responding to your complaint.
Feedback is always welcome and helps us improve our services. We also want to hear from you if you think we are doing well. If you have a compliment for one of our staff, we will make sure we pass your feedback on. You can provide general feedback by completing a web enquiry form and selecting the ‘feedback’ option.
There are a number of ways you may make a complaint about Ahpra or a Board. The information below sets out the reporting channels you may use to complain about Ahpra or a Board.
Anyone can make a complaint about Ahpra, the Ahpra Board or a National Board. This section includes information about the process.
We want to understand and resolve your issue as quickly as possible. If you are unhappy with our service (including our communication), the outcome of a regulatory matter, the application of our policies or Board guidelines, or any of our administrative actions, please raise your concern with the staff member who had responsibility for managing your matter.
Alternatively, the easiest way to tell us about your complaint (or provide any feedback) is to use our Online Complaint Form.
A complaint (or any feedback) can also be made by:
Our complaints handling policy and procedures ensure that your concerns are treated seriously and are addressed promptly and fairly.
This policy provides more information on how we manage complaints about Ahpra, a Board or committee and/or the behaviour of an Ahpra staff member or a Board member.
We aim to resolve your complaint about us as soon as possible and keep you informed at each stage of the process. When we receive a complaint, we carefully review the information you have provided and how you would like to see your complaint resolved. We then conduct a review of the information we hold in our records. When we respond to your complaint, we may do one or more of the following:
If you are unhappy with the way your complaint about Ahpra is dealt with, you can contact the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman.
The National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (Ombudsman) receives complaints and helps people who think they may have been treated unfairly in administrative processes by the national agencies in the National Scheme.
The Ombudsman will usually only deal with complaints that have already been lodged with Ahpra, and after Ahpra has been given a reasonable opportunity to resolve the complaint in line with our complaints handling policy and procedure. You can read more about making a complaint to the Ombudsman in Ahpra’s Complaints Handling Policy and Procedure.
Ahpra has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Ombudsman which sets the agreed ways in which both organisations work together. Visit the Memoranda of Understanding page for more information.
In February 2019, the Ombudsman and Ahpra jointly commissioned an independent review of the interface between the two agencies. This followed a significant increase in complaints to the Ombudsman and steps Ahpra had taken to improve its processes for handling complaints.
Read the report, Review of interface between the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Read our joint response to the report, Review of interface between the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency including the Joint response.
Read further information provided by the New Zealand Ombudsman.
Ahpra has a Public interest disclosure (Whistleblower) policy (Whistleblower Policy) for dealing with allegations of serious misconduct or impropriety in the administration of the National Law. The Whistleblower Policy is a process to deal with serious matters that is in the public interest to resolve. Those matters may include conduct by an Ahpra staff or a Board member (including a committee member) that:
You can read more information about Ahpra’s Whistleblower Policy, how to report a public interest disclosure and other frequently asked questions on the Public interest disclosure (Whistleblower) policy page.
Ahpra and the Boards are committed to performing our functions with integrity and in accordance with the highest ethical standards. Importantly, Ahpra staff are expected to comply with Ahpra’s Code of Conduct. If the conduct you are complaining of does not amount to serious misconduct under Ahpra’s Whistleblower Policy but fails to meet the standards of behaviour expected of Ahpra employees under the Code of Conduct, please tell us about your complaint by following the process for general and/or service complaints set out above. Ahpra will never take detrimental action against you for making such a complaint, though you are welcome to make your complaint anonymously.
The policy, procedures and form on this page do not relate to the reporting of concerns about the conduct, health or performance of an individual health practitioner.
If your concern is about a registered health practitioner, you need to visit the Raise a concern page of our website.
For more information visit How are notifications managed?
For further information about how we manage complaints about Ahpra contact our Customer Service Team on 1300 419 495 or make an online enquiry.