Hospitals feedback and complaints

Most health systems have an established process for managing concerns and complaints about care and treatment. Larger hospitals often have consumer liaison officers, sometimes called patient representatives or patient advocates, who are available to patients and their families who want to raise concerns about their treatment or experience.

Smaller hospitals may instead encourage feedback through their senior management team, such as the chief executive, the director of nursing or a quality manager.

Every healthcare organization benefits from feedback. It reinforces what the organization is doing well and highlights areas where it can do better.

Your rights as a patient#

If you are unhappy with the way you were treated in hospital, you have the right to complain and to have your concerns acted on. As a healthcare consumer, you have the right to safe, high-quality treatment and care.

Letting a hospital know when you have had a good experience helps it keep providing good care. Telling staff about things you feel could be improved, or raising an aspect of care you were not happy with, helps the hospital monitor its standards and find opportunities to improve.

Giving feedback#

Many hospitals provide a survey you can complete when you are discharged. This is a good chance to share both the positive and the negative parts of your experience. You can also give feedback about your care at any other time.

You may want to make a complaint if you feel that you:

• were not given adequate information about services or treatments, including costs, so that you could make an informed choice
• had your privacy breached
• were not given access to information about your healthcare when you asked for it
• did not give consent for your care or treatment

How to make a complaint#

If your complaint is about how a hospital has treated you, it usually has a formal complaints process that staff can guide you through. Information about how to lodge a complaint is often on the health service’s website, and complaint or feedback forms may be available there too.

Where you feel able to, try talking with the person involved about your concerns first. This is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve an issue. In the conversation, outline your concerns and how the incident has affected you. It may turn out to be a misunderstanding, or it may be something more serious.

If talking directly to the healthcare professional has not helped, or you are uncomfortable with that approach, you can take your complaint to the health service. Ask a clinic manager or staff at the reception desk where to direct your complaint or feedback. All health services have processes for hearing and dealing with complaints, and many hospitals have a consumer liaison officer or patient representative who handles patient feedback.

It can help to make your complaint in writing and to say how you would like the situation resolved, such as a written reply or a meeting. Follow up if you do not receive a response.

If you are still not satisfied#

If you are unhappy with the response from the healthcare professional or the hospital, you may be able to lodge a formal complaint with an independent regulatory body or authority. It is a good idea to contact that body first to make sure it is the right organization to deal with your complaint. They can explain their complaints process to you.

Key points#

• Hospitals welcome feedback, both positive and negative, because it helps them improve.
• You have the right to safe, high-quality care and the right to complain.
• Try talking directly to the person involved first, then use the health service’s formal complaints process if needed.
• Put your complaint in writing, say how you would like it resolved, and follow up.
• If you remain unsatisfied, an independent regulatory body may be able to help.