Feedback, concerns and complaints

We are committed to providing the highest possible level of healthcare, delivered in a safe and supportive environment for both patients and staff. We welcome patient, visitor and staff feedback and engagement as this helps us to review and improve health services.

You have the right to:

• provide feedback or make a complaint without it affecting the way that you are treated
• have your concerns addressed in a transparent and timely way
• share your experience and participate to improve the quality of care and health services.'

What do we mean by feedback?

Feedback is what we call information we receive from people about our services and performance. We use this information to identify what we did well and where we need to improve.

There are many types of feedback, but the most common are divided into three categories.

• Complaints

• Compliments

• General feedback

Concerns about child safety or welfare

If there is an emergency where there is immediate risk of harm or a crime is happening now, contact Police on Triple Zero (000).

Where a crime may have been committed, contact Police on 131 444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

For advice or for concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child, contact the Advice and Referral Line (ARL) on 1800 000 123.

Report a concern

If you have a concern you want to report, the best way to do so is through this form. You are able to submit these concerns anonymously if you wish.

All concerns are taken seriously and are appropriately reviewed and looked into.

Serious complaints

Our Statewide Complaints Management Oversight Unit (SCMOU) was established following the Commission of Inquiry to improve the complaints management processes. SCMOU is the dedicated serious complaints and incident management directorate, providing direct oversight on all child safeguarding concerns, and of significant other complaints.

SCMOU focuses on the most complex, serious and risky complaints, which includes all child-related safety concerns, and provide information, oversight and pathways for all other complaints. SCMOU can also play a role with escalating complaints when appropriate and undertakes monitoring and reporting of complaints or concerns received by us.

SCMOU works within a trauma-informed, patient-centred complaints management model, with a “no wrong door” approach for raising a complaint or concern. This means that the unit has the ability to have complaints escalated through to them from many avenues, including other teams and agencies, such as Tasmania Police or the Department for Education, Children and Young People.

For all serious concerns or complaints, members of the public, their advocates and staff can report it in the following ways.

• Reporting Concerns of Inappropriate Behaviour
• Email: [email protected]

We follow the Reportable Conduct Scheme which requires leaders of specific organisations to notify an independent regulator when concerns are raised about conduct related to child abuse involving a worker who is over 18 years of age, and to conduct investigations.

What happens when you make a complaint?

SCMOU uses the 5R’s approach to responding to complaints - Receive, Rate, Refer, Review, Respond. Complaints are categorised in a level of risk and severity according to the Statewide Complaints Management Framework.

SCMOU ensures all required notifications are made, that immediate risk mitigation strategies are implemented, and that they are referred to the right team for next steps.

Your complaint will be acknowledged within five working days, and you will then be provided with regular updates.

SCMOU can be contacted via phone: 03 6166 0366 or email: [email protected]

If you are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint, you can contact the Tasmanian Health Complaints Commissioner or the Tasmanian Ombudsman.

General enquiries, compliments and complaints

If you have a general enquiry or feedback, including complaints and compliments, you can use this form.

We will normally respond to your enquiry within seven working days.

This will vary depending on the nature of the enquiry.

Other ways to provide feedback

Your feedback is important to us and all feedback is encouraged.

• Information about providing feedback is located at front reception areas of health services

• You may be given an anonymous feedback survey when you arrive

• If you attended an outpatient clinic, we recommend you directly contact the clinic you attended. Phone numbers can be found in our service finder and are also printed on your appointment letter.

You can also give feedback by contacting the hospital's Quality and Patient Safety Service's Consumer Liaison Unit:

Northern Region

• Phone: 1800 008 001

• Email: [email protected]

North West Region

• Phone: 1800 062 322

• Email: [email protected]

Southern Region

• Phone: 1800 811 911

• Email: [email protected]

Oral Health Services Tasmania

• To submit feedback regarding Oral Health Services Tasmania, email: [email protected]

Statewide Mental Health Services

• To submit feedback regarding Statewide Mental Health Services, email: [email protected]

Anonymous satisfaction surveys

• You may be given a survey to fill out. It is anonymous. This means we don't know it is you.

• We ask that you complete this survey and leave it in a designated box before you leave.

• Completion of this survey will assist us in improving the service provided to you and other patients.

The DAISY Award

The DAISY Award honours nurses and midwives who provide outstanding compassionate care.

• The DAISY program runs in 27 countries and more than 4,300 health care facilities.

• Approximately 125,000 nurses have been honoured from more than 1.3 million nominations.

• For more information, please visit the DAISY Foundation website.

The DAISY Award in Tasmania

• The Department of Health (Tasmania) launched the DAISY Awards in April 2020.

• It is a monthly awards program with a new recipient each month.

How to nominate a Tasmanian nurse or midwife

If you have been the recipient of or witnessed extraordinary compassionate care by one of our nurses or midwives, you can nominate them for a DAISY Award. Please email us with:

• Their full name

• Unit/ward/area where they work

• Why you think they deserve to be a DAISY Award honouree.

North: [email protected]

North West: [email protected]

South: [email protected]