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| What can a complaint be about? |
| Who can make a complaint? |
A complaint, as defined in Directive 13/06 'is a generic term referring to the expression of dissatisfaction, orally or in writing, about a service or actions of an agency or its staff'.
A non-consumer complaint is any complaint that is not covered by the Queensland Health Consumer Complaints Management Policy.
Any person can make a complaint.
If you have a complaint or concern there are some steps you can take which will help us help you:
At first its best to talk to your line manager or WEHO (Staff Access Only). They can explain how to make a complaint and take you through the process. If you are not sure who to go to, you can access the Queensland Health Reporting Concerns Portal or you can talk with the Staff Complaints Liaison Office.
Remember, act quickly. The earlier you tell someone about your concerns, the sooner your concerns can be addressed.
How your complaint is handled, depends on what it is about. The officer helping you with your concerns can explain the complaints process, timeframes and what your options are if you are not satisfied with the outcome.
Most of the time the local area will be able to deal with complaints, however sometimes this is not possible.
Complaints about Suspected Official Misconduct, anything that might be illegal or could lead to a person being dismissed, should be reported to the Ethical Standards Unit.
Complaints regarding Occupational Workplace Health and Safety will be sent to your District OH&S manager. If your complaint can't be handled locally, it will be referred to the Occupational Health and Workplace Safety Unit.
Matters regarding your employment, discrimination and other Human Resource issues, including if you are a contractor working within Queensland Health are dealt with by the Human Resources Unit within the District, Corporate or Statewide Service.
Matters regarding your employment, including pay and conditions are dealt with by your local pay roll office.
If your complaint is about bullying and harassment it's best to speak to your line manager or local HR office. If it can't be dealt with locally at District Level or requires investigation, your complaint will be referred to the Workplace Investigations Unit.
Freedom of Information, privacy matters or complaints regarding legislative breaches are dealt by the Privacy Officer in your District or by the Legal Unit in Corporate Office.
Complaints or matters regarding Whistleblowers or Public Interest Disclosures are managed by the Assurance & Risk Advisory Services.
Concerns or matters about patient care relating to the behaviour or clinical practice of individual clinicians should be reported to the relevant Clinical Director in your District. Further information can be sought from the Clinician Performance Support Service (CliPSS) about the options available to manage the concern in question.
If you are not sure who to go to when lodging a formal complaint, you can access the Queensland Health Reporting Concerns Portal or you can talk with the Staff Complaints Liaison Office.
The officer dealing with your complaint will be able to advise you if confidentiality applies to your case but it generally cannot be guaranteed. If your complaint is about another person, they have the right to know the allegations and be given a chance to respond.
Yes, you can make your complaint anonymously. However, it may be difficult to resolve an anonymous complaint if you do not provide your contact details and further information is required from you.
If Assurance and Risk Advisory Services decide that your complaint is a Public Interest Disclosure, you may be entitled to Whistleblower status.
For further information, visit the Internal Witness Support Unit (Staff Access Only) website.
Also see Public Interest Disclosures (PID) (Public)
We understand that people may be affected by a complaint and the process related to it.
If you need support, you could approach the person dealing with the matter for a recommendation as to who might be available to support you or you might consider seeking support from one of the following:
It is possible that, at the end of the process, you will not receive the outcome that you wanted.
If you feel that you have not been treated fairly or that the result is unreasonable, there are provisions for seeking a review, both internal and external. Different complaints processes have different appeal or review options. The person managing your complaint will be able to advise you of your options for appeal or review if you are not satisfied with the outcome or the way your complaint has been handled.
The Staff Complaints Liaison Office has been established to assist Queensland Health staff and others who are unsure about complaints processes and also to manage any complaints that are not covered by existing complaints processes. This office can also help with special needs such as interpreter services. The Staff Complaints Liaison Office is located within the Workplace Investigations Unit. The role of the Staff Complaints Liaison Office is:
When you call the Staff Complaints Liaison Office to make a complaint, we will be courteous, listen closely and get as much detail as possible about the concern and complaint. The relevant facts of your complaint will be written down by the person you call so that you won't have to repeat the information when you are referred to another person/area.
If we can resolve your complaint on the spot, we will do so. If we are unable to resolve your complaint immediately, we will refer you to the appropriate unit or person within the Department, advising you of their contact details.
The person dealing with your complaint will try to make contact with you as soon as possible and will settle with you a timeframe for resolving it. If the agreed timeframe cannot be met, you will be told why and when you can expect to receive a response.
Futher Reading:
Staff Complaints Office Contact Details
