Health care in Canberra is usually very safe and high quality. But things can go wrong, even in the best health services. Your feedback, complaints, or compliments can help improve health care for everyone.
You have a right to make a complaint or give feedback. This can:
- Help fix the problem
- Stop it happening again
- Make health care better for everyone
When you make a complaint or give feedback:
- Your concerns must be addressed in a transparent, timely way
- It must not negatively affect the way you are treated
- You have a right to share your experience to improve the quality of health care
You have these rights wherever you get health care. They are part of the Australian Charter of Health Care Rights: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/consumers/working-your-healthcare-provider/australian-charter-healthcare-rights
We have worked with consumers and service providers to develop some resources to help you:
- Decide if you want to give feedback or make a complaint,
- Find advice and support, and
- Work out what is the best action for your individual circumstances.
Download the Guides
Updated January 2024!
This Guide is made up of 6 factsheets and a directory. You can either download the complete guide, or each of the factsheets separately.
Disclaimer: These guides are provided for advice only. Using these guides does not guarantee a particular outcome for your complaint.
If you just want the Factsheets, start with Factsheet 1. Take action! Health complaints and feedback in Canberra. It tells you about your options, whatever has gone wrong in your health care.
The other Tip Sheets have extra information about:
This Guide is made up of 6 Fact Sheets.
- Fact Sheet 1. Is there a problem with your mental health care?
- Fact Sheet 2. How to make a complaint about a mental health professional in the ACT
- Fact Sheet 3. How to raise a concern about In-patient mental health care
- Fact Sheet 4. Information for carers, nominated persons, family and friends
- Fact Sheet 5. Advocacy – How to improve the mental health system in the ACT
- Fact Sheet 6: Mental Health Complaints Matter
You can also download all factsheets as one document.
The Directory lists contact details for:
- Organisations that can help you with a complaint or a problem in health care
- The complaints and feedback processes of most hospitals and larger health services in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The Directory also has information about what to do if you, or someone you care about, is getting sicker while they are in hospital.
These guides were developed with advice from health care consumers and carers, and representatives of health services and other agencies. HCCA thanks:
HCCA members
- Christine Bowman
- Don McFeat
- Fiona Tito-Wheatland
- Jo Bothroyd
- Joanne Baumgartner
- Pam Graudenz
- Karen McKernan
- Priyanka Rai
- Ajar Sana
Consumer, carer and health advocacy organisations
- Advocacy for Inclusion
- Carers ACT
- Canberra Mental Health Forum
- Mental Health Consumer Network – Bianca Rosetti
- Mental Health Carers Voices
- People with Disabilities ACT
Staff at the office of the ACT Health Services Commissioner
Community Health Literacy Steering Group
- Anais le Gall (Capital Health Network)
- Bailey de Paiva (Canberra Health Services)
- Belinda Yates (Calvary Public Hospital Bruce)
- Bob Stirling (HCCA Member)
- Carol Archard (Carers ACT)
- Holly Catt (Canberra Health Services)
- Karin Calford (HCCA member)
- Louise Botha (Calvary Public Hospital Bruce and Canberra Health Services)
- Purity Goj (ACT Health Directorate and ACT Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing)
- Rowan Ford (ACT Health Directorate)
- Shelley McInnis (HCCA Member).
This work was supported by the ACT Health Directorate as part of the Community Health Literacy Project.