Australasian Council of Health Complaint Entities Update - May 2026
Australasian Council of Health Complaint Entities’ (ACHCE) is made up of independent organisations responsible for handling health complaints in all Australian States and Territories and New Zealand.
The ACHCE met in Canberra on 7 and 8 May 2026. The health complaints entities meet formally twice each year to discuss issues, collaborate and share expertise and information regarding health services and practitioner regulation. The meeting facilitates engagement with other relevant regulators, oversight bodies, and researchers to enable cooperation and collaboration on issues relevant to health service and health practitioner regulation.
The ACHCE welcomed Ms Janet Anderson PSM, the recently appointed Ombudsman with the Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman and welcomed back Dr Lynne Coulson Barr OAM, recently appointed South Australian Health & Community Services Complaints Commissioner (a former member of the group through her previous role as Health Ombudsman Qld). We also thanked Ms Sarah Cowie for her contribution to the ACHCE over many years with news of her finishing up in her position as Director of the Western Australian Health & Disability Services Complaints Office in September 2026.
Common Themes
All members noted increasing numbers and complexity of complaints placing high demands on their respective workplaces and staff.
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)
The ACHCE members welcomed the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra) to discuss ongoing efforts to streamline and improve complaint and notification processes and cooperation between all the Australian entities to focus on ongoing improvements in the health complaint management system. Recognising the different regulatory models across the system, members reiterated the need to focus on improved experiences for complainants, notifiers and practitioners who are engaging with the entities. Australian ACHCE members acknowledged the recent Health Ministers Communique of 1 May 2026 and Health Ministers meeting response to the independent review of complexity in the national registration and accreditation scheme (NRAS).
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
ACHCE members welcomed the opportunity for an update from the TGA on current trends in therapeutic goods regulation. A shared commitment was confirmed to further develop the cooperation and a coordinated regulatory approach between ACHCE members and the TGA.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
ACHCE members welcomed representatives from the NDIA to discuss areas of common regulatory interest noting some overlap between the code of conduct obligations on NDIA providers and the National Code of Conduct for Health Workers administered by Australian ACHCE members.
Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
The AHRC attended the meeting to discuss its recent report published on The age barrier: Older adults experiences of ageism in health care. ACHCE members noted feedback from older patients in the report about experiences of ageism in health care and the profound negative impact ageism can have in accessing adequate health. The group discussed the need to call out discrimination issues in complaints and notifications where identified.
About the Australasian Council of Health Complaint Entities (ACHCE)
The Australian health complaint entities all have responsibilities for health complaints management, together with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards (Ahpra), under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).
The New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner promotes and protects people's rights as set out in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights. The New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner is a member of the Council and enables trans-Tasman collaboration and understanding.
The ACHCE has a central point of contact at ACHCE@hccc.nsw.gov.au so that all partners and stakeholders can easily contact the collective entities.
The members of the Australasian Council of Health Complaint Entities are:
- Australian Capital Territory – Human Rights Commission
- New South Wales – Health Care Complaints Commission
- Northern Territory – Health and Community Services Complaints Commission
- Queensland – Office of the Health Ombudsman
- South Australia – Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
- Tasmania – Health Complaints Commission
- Victoria – Health Complaints Commission
- Western Australia – Health and Disability Services Complaints Office
- New Zealand – Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner