1. Purpose
Hume Medical Centre is committed to providing high-quality, safe and respectful healthcare in a professional and welcoming environment.
We value feedback from our patients, their families, carers and the community. Compliments, suggestions and complaints help us understand what we are doing well and identify opportunities to improve our services.
This policy explains how patients and members of the public can provide feedback or make a complaint and how Hume Medical Centre manages concerns fairly, respectfully and confidentially.
2. Scope
This policy applies to patients, family members, carers, visitors and other individuals who wish to provide feedback or raise a concern about the services, care or conduct of Hume Medical Centre and its staff.
3. Our Commitment
Hume Medical Centre is committed to:
- Listening to and taking all feedback and complaints seriously.
- Treating everyone with courtesy, dignity and respect.
- Managing complaints fairly, objectively and in a timely manner.
- Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patients and complainants.
- Keeping complainants informed about the progress and outcome of their complaints, where appropriate.
- Identifying opportunities for improvement and taking corrective action when necessary.
- Ensuring patients are not disadvantaged or treated unfairly because they have raised a concern or made a complaint.
This policy applies to patients, family members, carers, visitors and other individuals who wish to provide feedback or raise a concern about the services, care or conduct of Hume Medical Centre and its staff.
4. How to Provide Feedback or Make a Complaint
Patients and members of the public can provide feedback or make a complaint through the following channels:
- In person: Speak with a member of our reception team.
- By phone: Call Hume Medical Centre on 03 9042 4573.
- By email: Send your feedback or complaint to the practice’s published email address.
- In writing: Submit a written complaint to the practice.
- Through patient surveys: Provide feedback through any patient survey made available by the practice.
Where possible, we encourage patients to raise their concerns directly with the practice so we can work towards a prompt and appropriate resolution.
You may raise a concern yourself or ask an authorised representative, family member or carer to assist you. Where a complaint involves another person’s health information, we may need to confirm their consent or the representative’s authority before discussing confidential details.
When making a complaint, please provide as much relevant information as possible, including the nature of your concern, the date of the incident, the people involved (if known) and the outcome you would like to achieve.
5. How We Handle Complaints
The Practice Manager, Keshav Dhawan, is the primary contact for complaints and feedback at Hume Medical Centre.
When a complaint is received, the practice will:
- Acknowledge the complaint: Acknowledge receipt within our stated timeframe.
- Record the complaint: Document the complaint in the practice complaints register and maintain appropriate records.
- Assess the concern: Consider the nature and seriousness of the complaint and determine the appropriate process for addressing it.
- Investigate fairly: Review the information provided, consult relevant staff where necessary and consider any relevant records.
- Provide a response: Communicate the outcome to the complainant, including any actions taken and, where appropriate, the reasons for the decision.
- Identify improvements: Implement corrective actions or changes to procedures where necessary to prevent similar issues from recurring.
Complaints involving patient safety, clinical care or other serious concerns will be escalated to the appropriate person for review.
We may contact the complainant for further information if required to investigate the matter properly.
6. Complaint Resolution Timeframes
Hume Medical Centre aims to acknowledge complaints within 5–10 business days of receipt.
We aim to investigate and resolve complaints as promptly as reasonably possible. The time required will depend on the nature and complexity of the concern.
Where additional time is required, we will endeavour to keep the complainant informed of significant delays and provide updates on the progress of the complaint, where appropriate.
7. Privacy and Confidentiality
All complaints will be managed in accordance with applicable privacy and health records legislation and Hume Medical Centre’s Privacy Policy.
Personal information provided during the complaints process will be handled confidentially and accessed or shared only where reasonably necessary to investigate and resolve the complaint, or where authorised or required by law.
Complaint records and related documentation will be stored securely and accessed only by authorised personnel.
8. Anonymous Complaints
Hume Medical Centre accepts anonymous complaints where sufficient information is provided to enable us to consider the concern.
However, anonymous complaints may limit our ability to investigate the matter fully, request further information or provide feedback about the outcome.
Where possible, we encourage complainants to provide contact details so we can communicate with them during the complaints process.
9. External Complaints and Support
If you are unable to resolve your concern directly with Hume Medical Centre or are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may contact an appropriate independent complaints body.
Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
The Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC) is an independent body that handles complaints about health services and the handling of health information in Victoria.
- Phone: 1300 582 113
- Website: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/
- Online complaints: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/make-complaint
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)
If your concern relates to a registered health practitioner, you may also contact Ahpra.
- Phone: 1300 419 495
- Website: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
You may seek external assistance without first completing the practice’s internal complaints process, where appropriate.
10. Continuous Quality Improvement
Hume Medical Centre reviews feedback and complaints periodically to identify trends, address recurring concerns and improve the quality, safety and delivery of healthcare services.
Where appropriate, lessons learned from complaints will be incorporated into staff education, policy reviews, risk management and quality improvement activities.
11. Contact Us
For feedback, complaints or questions about this policy, please contact:
Hume Medical Centre
Attention: Keshav Dhawan, Practice Manager
Phone: 03 9042 4573
Email: Please use the email address published on our website or contact reception for assistance.
We appreciate your feedback and thank you for helping us improve the care and services we provide.
Hume Medical Centre — Committed to respectful, safe and quality healthcare.