April 2008

Health watchdog marks 20 years of consumer service

Victoria’s Health Services Commissioner has played a key role for 20 years in ensuring an independent overview of public issues raised over health services and agencies.

Attending a function to mark the 20th anniversary of creation of the Health Services Commissioner’s office, Health Minister Daniel Andrews said it was important for public confidence to have an arms-length review into issues or concerns.

The current Health Services Commissioner, Beth Wilson, has been in the role for more than half of the history of the Office, having been appointed in March 1997.

The Health Services Commissioner—or ‘health Ombudsman’—acts as an independent and impartial mediator and conciliator of complaints brought by health consumers and reports directly to Parliament through the Health Minister.

‘The Office of the Health Services Commissioner was created in 1988 and Victoria was the first Australian State to introduce an independent statutory complaints body,’ Mr Andrews said.

‘The Health Services Commissioner receives complaints from members of the public and has the responsibility of helping to resolve the complaint—where possible with the health provider.

‘If the matter can’t be resolved, the Office investigates the complaint and seeks to bring about a suitable resolution through conciliation.

‘If this fails, the Health Services Commissioner has a formal power of investigation and can name practitioners who do the wrong thing.’

Matters which are referred to the Health Services Commissioner include complaints from people who feel their conditions were wrongly diagnosed, complaints of inadequate treatment, incorrect information, poor communication, access to and disclosure of health information, lack of information about their choices and the costs of treatment.

The role covers complaints about public and private health service providers, institutions and individuals and mainstream and alternative health treatments.

It includes complaints about services from doctors, hospitals, dentists, nurses, chiropractors, pharmacists, ambulance services, nursing homes, community health centres, optometrists and naturopaths and treatment of the aged, people with disabilities and those with psychiatric illnesses.

The Health Services Commissioner works closely with the registration boards, such as the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria and the Nurses Board of Victoria, where professional competence issues need to be addressed.

‘The Health Services Commissioner is a key player in Victoria’s health system and the complaints and views of the public are an important tool in ensuring the ongoing high quality of care provided in our public hospitals and health agencies,’ Mr Andrews said.