Make a Complaint
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.
Our services are free and available to everyone.
HaDSCO encourages parties to discuss complaints and work towards a mutually agreed outcome.
Please click on one of the questions below or scroll down to read the whole section.
What is a complaint?
A complaint means you tell someone that you are not happy with a service.
A complaint is defined in the AS/NZS 10002-2014 Guidelines for Complaints Management in Organizations as an "expression of dissatisfaction made to or about an organisation, related to its products, services and staff or the handling of a complaint, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required".
Who do I speak to?
If you’re not satisfied with your service provider, please first raise your concerns with them directly. We will ask if you have raised your complaint with the service provider before lodging a complaint with HaDSCO. Please see our complaints section for tips on how to raise a complaint with a service provider.
Speaking directly with your service provider is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve complaints. If you are unable to take your complaint to the service provider directly or your complaint has not been resolved, then you can make a complaint to HaDSCO.
Who can make a complaint?
A complaint can be made by:
- The person who received the service.
- A relative, representative or carer.
- A representative of a person who died.
- A provider, on behalf of the person who received the service from another provider.
- A carer, about a failure to comply with the Western Australian Carers Charter as set out in the Carers Recognition Act 2004.
If you’re complaining on behalf of someone else, make sure you get their permission before lodging your complaint form. If the person making the complaint is not a relative of the service user, they will need to sign the declaration on the HaDSCO complaint form to say that they have no financial interest in the outcome of the complaint and that they are acting without payment.
What can I complain about?
Complaints may include allegations that a health, disability, mental health or prison health service provider has acted unreasonably by:
- Refusing to provide a service.
- Providing a service that should not have been provided.
- The manner of providing a service.
- Denying or restricting the consumers access to records.
- Breaching confidentiality.
- Charging an excessive fee.
- Not effectively dealing with a complaint.
- Failing to comply with the Carers Charter, Disability Services Standards or Charter of Mental Health Care Principles.
How long do I have to raise a complaint?
HaDSCO is generally unable to deal with matters that are more than two years old or that have already been determined by a Court, registration board or tribunal. In these cases, referrals to alternative organisations may be suggested.
Some discretion exists if there is a good reason for the delay, for example if you only became aware of the problem that led to the complaint after the two year period has expired. Contact HaDSCO if you are unsure about whether your complaint is within the time limit.
Can I complain about a registered health practitioner?
If a complaint relates to a registered health practitioner, HaDSCO is required by law to consult with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (Ahpra) to determine the most appropriate agency to deal with the complaint. If HaDSCO continues to manage the complaint it will be managed in the usual way, which is through the employing agency. If Ahpra manage the complaint they will liaise directly with the practitioner.
What can be achieved by making a complaint?
Complaints can be valuable feedback for service providers and sometimes lead to quality improvements for other service users. If you have not been able to resolve your complaint directly with the service provider, we may be able to help you achieve outcomes such as an:
- Explanation.
- Apology.
- Change in policy or procedure.
- Refund or waiver of fees.
- Access to counselling or other support.
- Access to a service.
- Training or education for the service provider.
- Conciliation conference or negotiated settlement.
- Investigation.
HaDSCO supports improvement through complaint resolution and your complaint may help to improve the service for others.
If you are ready to raise a complaint with HaDSCO, please go to our online Complaint form or contact us.