Patient feedback
- If you have concerns about the care you are receiving right now you should first talk to the attending health staff.
- If you wish to provide feedback on your experience with a WA public hospital you are encouraged to share your experience through the channels below.
- The mechanism are listed in a suggested order of escalation if you do not recieve an adequate response.
Submit your compliments, complaints or comments
Use one or both of the options below to provide feedback to a hospital or health service about your experience. All feedback should be provided directly to the hospital or health service in the first instance.
Provide feedback to an independant organisation
If you are not satisfied with the response you are encouraged to take your feedback to 1 or both of the independant organisations below:
- Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO)
The Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) is an independent Statutory Authority offering an impartial resolution service for complaints relating to health, disability and mental health services in Western Australia and the Indian Ocean Territories.
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
People can submit a concern about an individual registered health practitioner to AHPRA. Concerns can only be raised if a practitioner’s behaviour is placing the public at risk, a practitioner is practicing their professions in an unsafe way, or a practitioner’s ability to make safe judgments about their health
Advocacy and support services for consumers and carers
- Health Consumers’ Council WA
Health Consumers’ Council is an independent, not for profit organisation passionate about ensuring the consumer is at the heart of WA’s health care system. They provide an Individual Advocacy Service during office hours Monday to Friday to help patients navigate the health system and can help patients make a complaint.
- Mental Health Advocacy Service
The Mental Health Advocacy Service offer a free service supporting people who are receiving or referred for involuntary mental health treatment to help them understand and exercise their rights.
- Carers WA
Carers WA is a not for profit dedicated to improving the lives of family carers living in WA. Carers WA can support a carer to make a complaint if they are concerned about the delivery of a service to their family or the person they support.
Assistance with providing feedback
Supports are available to assist people with disability and those who have english as a seond language.
National Relay Service
If you are deaf or find it hard to hear or speak to hearing people the National Relay Service can help you provide your feedback on the phone through a range of call services depending on your needs and preferences.
Interpreting services
You can ask the health service to provide you with an interpreter (phone, face-to-face or video interpreting is available).
You can also call TIS (Translating and Interpreting Service) on 131450 – they will connect you to the health service and assist you with providing your feedback.
The TIS phone interpreting service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Feedback while you are at hospital
- Talk to hospital staff about the feedback or complaint
- Talk with the Patient Liaison Officer or Aboriginal Liaison Officer
- Ask the hospital staff for a feedback form or more information about their complaints processes
- Suggestion boxes with feedback forms
Aishwarya’s CARE Call
- Aishwarya’s CARE Call is a 3-step process for patients, carers and family members to use if they are worried they, or a person they care for, are getting sicker in hospital and feel that the healthcare team has not fully recognised their changing health condition.
- This process is for urgent clinical concerns about a patient.
- Each hospital has a different number.
This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Information about a service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace professional advice. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified professional for answers to their questions.