Patient Rights and Speaking Up
Australia’s health system provides excellent care for many, but sometimes patients experience harm that impacts their health, wellbeing, or confidence in care. Here you can learn about what harm in healthcare might look like, understand your rights if something goes wrong, and find guidance on speaking up or seeking support.
Learning From Others
Self-Advocacy
Speaking up for your own health needs, known as self-advocacy, can help you receive care that is safe, respectful, and meets your preferences. Australia’s healthcare system is complex, and being prepared to explain your concerns or preferences can make a real difference to the quality and timeliness of the care you receive.
1
Prepare
Write down symptoms, medications, and questions in advance.
2
Ask questions
If something is unclear, request clarification or a second opinion.
3
Keep records
Maintain copies of test results, referrals, and care plans.
4
Bring support
A family member or friend can help take notes and provide another perspective.
5
Escalate if needed
Use the health service’s feedback process or contact your state or territory health complaints body.
Understanding your Patient Rights
Everyone deserves care that is safe, respectful, and of the highest quality. Healthcare rights help ensure everyone in Australia can access safe, high-quality care, whether they are patients or carers.
These rights are outlined in the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights and apply to all forms of healthcare you receive, no matter where it is provided. This covers services delivered in public or private hospitals, GP clinics, and community settings across the country. A consumer guide to these rights is published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Sometimes, things do not go as planned and an incident can occur that puts patient safety at risk. A patient safety incident is any event where someone might have been, or was, unnecessarily harmed while receiving healthcare.
These situations generally fall into three groups:
• Incident with harm – the event caused injury or a negative impact for the patient.
• Near miss – something went wrong but was identified or corrected before it affected the patient.
• Incident with no harm – the event reached the patient but did not cause any clear harm.
While we are unable to offer individual assistance, the information and resources on this page are here to help you understand your options.
If you are concerned about your care or think you may have experienced a patient safety incident, explore the guidance provided to learn about next steps, available support, and how to share your concerns.
Getting Help When Something Goes Wrong
Start with your care team
It often helps to first speak with your healthcare provider or someone directly involved in your care, such as a practice manager or nurse unit manager. They are usually best placed to explain what happened and discuss next steps.
Contact the health service’s feedback team
Every public hospital, private hospital, and community health service in Australia has a consumer liaison or patient feedback team. These staff are trained to respond to questions and complaints about quality, safety, or communication issues. Check the service’s website or ask reception for contact details.
Escalate if needed
If your concern is not resolved by the health service, you can contact the relevant state or territory health complaints body:
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Victoria: Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC) - call 1300 582 113, or the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commissioner - call 1800 246 054.
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New South Wales: Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) - call 1800 043 159
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Queensland: Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) - call 133 646
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Western Australia: Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) - call (08) 6551 7600 or 1800 813 583.
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South Australia: Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC) - call 1800 232 007
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Tasmania: Health Complaints Commissioner - call 1800 001 170.
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Australian Capital Territory: Health Services Commissioner (via the ACT Human Rights Commission) - call (02) 6205 2222.
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Northern Territory: Health and Community Services Complaints Commission (HCSCC) - call 1800 004 474
These agencies are independent and can investigate complaints about healthcare services and registered practitioners.
Contact professional regulators
If your concern is about a specific health professional, you can contact the relevant national board through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). If you have concerns about the conduct, health, or performance of a registered health practitioner in Australia, you can raise a formal notification with AHPRA. AHPRA investigates issues such as unsafe care, unprofessional behaviour, or practitioners working outside their scope of practice. You can submit a notification online or call 1300 419 495. Full guidance is available on AHPRA’s website.
Additional reporting options
For specific types of healthcare concerns, you can reach out to the following specialised services for advice or to make a complaint.
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Medication issues: Report adverse reactions or side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
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Aged care concerns: Contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission - call 1800 951 822
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Disability services: Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
