Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Concerned about a health practitioner?
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Concerned about a health practitioner?

I am concerned about a health practitioner - Am I in the right place?

Watch our video to help decide if Ahpra is the right place for your concerns. Don’t forget to press pause to make note of important information in the video, or find further information below.


Why am I raising this concern?

If you are raising this concern for:

  • an explanation
  • an apology
  • a refund or compensation
  • access to your health records or to amend them
  • change in policy or practice at a hospital, medical/dental practice, pharmacy, ambulance, community health service.
Submit a complaint to a health complaints organisation

If you are raising this concern because you think:

  • a practitioner's behaviour is placing the public at risk
  • a practitioner is practising their profession in an unsafe way, or 
  • a practitioner's ability to make safe judgements about their patients might be impaired because of their health.
Submit a concern to Ahpra

Ahpra is the right place if you are concerned that a health practitioner may be behaving in a way that could present a significant risk to you, to other patients or members of the public. There are different arrangements for people in Qld and NSW for managing concerns about registered health practitioners.

Further information is provided in the diagram below and on the NSW and Qld page.

The National Scheme
  • In all states and territories other than NSW and Queensland
  • Notification made to Ahpra (on behalf of National Board)
  • Consult with the local health complaints entity if the matter could be dealt with by that entity
  • Matter assessed
  • Recommendation presented to committee who hold a delegation to make a decision
  • Decision made
  • National online public register updated as required (e.g. to include conditions on a practitioner’s registration)
  • In Queensland
  • Notification made to Office of the Health Ombudsman (on behalf of National Board)
  • OHO shares details of the complaint with Ahpra to update National Database
  • Matter assessed
  • Matter referred to Ahpra (on behalf of National Board)
  • Recommendation presented to committee who hold a delegation to make a decision
  • Decision made
  • OHO decides to keep for early resolution, or investigation
  • Decision made and Ahpra notified
  • National online public register updated as required (e.g. to include conditions on a practitioner’s registration)
  • In NSW
  • Notification made to Health Care Complaints Commission or a council
  • HCCC/council shares details of the complaint with Ahpra to update National Database
  • Follows NSW complaints process
  • Decision made and Ahpra notified
  • National online public register updated as required (e.g. to include conditions on a practitioner’s registration)
 
 
 
Page reviewed 21/03/2023