Medical Centre Complaints:

When establishing or managing a medical centre, it is advisable to prepare and implement policies and procedures that set out the preferred steps or protocol that must be adhered to in certain circumstances. One such policy is a complaint policy that is to apply if a complaint is made about the medical centre or members of your team. The purpose of a complaint policy is to ensure that there is uniformity in the manner in which complaints are managed.

A complaint policy will provide a standard process for reviewing and investigating the complaint. This policy may require:

• Making mandatory notifications required by law. These notifications may be required to the Police, the AHPRA, the Medical Board of Australia, and the medical practice’s insurer;
• Ensuring the complaint is referred to the manager or another employee who has been delegated authority to receive and manage complaints;
• Collecting further information from the complainant and determining whether additional investigation is appropriate;
• Obtaining a statement from witnesses and any person against whom the complaint has been lodged;
• Determining whether the complaint has been substantiated by the evidence collected;
• Implementing appropriate sanctions against the staff member, which may involve a consideration of the severity of the complaint, the prior performance of the employee and their attitude towards the complaint.

The outcomes of an investigation can also assist the medical centre in identifying the need for improvements or amendments to be made to existing policies and procedures, in an effort to reduce the likelihood of ongoing complaints.

Your complaint policy may even extend to the internal management of complaints made externally, for example, to the Medical Board. This policy may include an assessment of whether any interim steps need to be taken against the medical professional whilst the investigation is ongoing and reiterating obligations to comply with any legal requests for information or cooperation during the external investigation.

If you wish to speak to one of our Medical Centres & Disputes Lawyers, please contact our firm by telephone on (02) 9233 4048 or send an email to info@navado.com.au. 

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