Complaints Procedures against Health Services: Some Victorian Developments

Abstract

The all-party Social Development Committee of the Victorian Parliament reported in 1984 that the existing system of dealing with complaints and grievances about health services was totally inadequate and in need of urgent changes. The Committee recommended that a model complaints mechanism should be set up to provide a clear, coherent and consistent system for dealing with complaints about health services. The Government responded by setting up the Office of the Health Services Commissioner to assist consumers and providers to resolve complaints about health services and, through the monitoring of complaints and analysis of health system data, to recommend improvements in the quality of health service provision. Aside from redress of grievances, this response was motivated by a desire to improve management and accountability of health care services. The data generated by the improved complaints system became a performance measure against clear objectives set by all publicly-funded health care institutions. The data generated by consumer perceptions became a central element in the formulation of future health policies.