For Providers FAQs
If you have questions or need more information, speak with a HaDSCO staff member on (08) 6551 7620 or email mail@hadsco.wa.gov.au.
If we receive a complaint about you, we will review the information and decide how to proceed.
If we decide to proceed, we will contact you to tell you about the complaint and the process we will follow to resolve it. We may also ask you for information and we will allow a reasonable time to respond.
HaDSCO’s resolution process does not require a lawyer.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) manages the registration of individual health practitioners across Australia. It can accept notifications about individual registered practitioners but not about organisations such as hospitals or community health services. Ahpra can only act against the registration of a registered health practitioner.
HaDSCO cannot take any action regarding registration but can achieve other outcomes. We can accept complaints about individual health care workers, whether they are registered or non-registered.
We share relevant information and can jointly decide which agency is best placed to manage a complaint. More information on Ahpra is available at www.ahpra.wa.gov.au.
If the complaint falls under HaDSCO’s authority, we will contact you to discuss your options. Depending on its complexity, the complaint can progress to one of the following resolution pathways:
- Negotiated settlement which involves communicating via phone or email.
- Conciliation which involves face-to-face, teleconference or videoconference meetings.
- Investigations.
You can read more about the complaint resolution process here.
If your complaint does not fall under HaDSCO’s authority, the consumer will be contacted to explain why, and they could be referred to an alternative organisation.
If the complaint is about a registered health practitioner, HaDSCO will consult with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (Ahpra) to determine the most suitable agency to manage it.
Yes. The consumer should notify us via email or letter.
However, if the complaint is about an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for certain health care workers and there is potential risk to public health and safety, we can continue to investigate the matter.
While the majority of health care workers are practicing in a safe, competent and ethical manner, there are however occasions where a health care worker’s conduct or performance may be placing people at risk of serious harm.
The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to protect the public by setting minimum standards of practice for certain health care workers. It also addresses a regulatory gap in relation to health care workers who are not regulated under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS).
Western Australia has joined most other states that have already passed similar legislation to implement the Code of Conduct.
For more information about the Code of Conduct, click here.