Guide to Complaint Handling in Health Care Services

Key principle
Responsiveness
Desired practice
• The organisation encourages a culture of receptiveness. Complaints are not seen as a
personal attack but rather as a useful means to achieving better patient care.
• Complaints are dealt with in a timely manner.
• Communication from consumers is responded to promptly.
• Staff have a positive attitude towards dealing with complaints.
• Communication with consumers is open and responsive to their needs.
• Consumers are treated with respect and dignity.
• Consumers are given whatever help they need to make their complaint.
• Consumers’ rights are upheld in accordance with the Victorian Public Hospitals Patient
Charter.
Transparency
and
accountability
• A clear process is communicated to consumers.
• Each complaint is received and investigated on its own merit.
• Consumers are kept informed of the progress of the complaint.
• There is continuity of staff dealing with the complaint.
• Principles of procedural fairness are observed.
• Relevant key individuals are promptly informed of complaints.
• Consumers are informed of the outcome of the complaint.
• Information on trends identified by aggregated complaints data is publicly available,
e.g. through the Quality of Care Report or annual report.
Privacy and
confidentiality
• All complaints are handled according to the requirements of the Health Records Act 2001
and Information Privacy Act 2000.
• Information gathered during the complaint process is used only in order to deal with and
resolve the complaint or to address broader issues arising from the complaint.
• Information is shared with staff only on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
Guiding principles for an effective complaint handling system 11