This information is for you if you:
- had surgery for suspected endometriosis and now have questions
- feel you didn’t get all the information you needed to give informed consent to surgery
- didn’t know about non surgical options
- didn’t get the outcome you expected
- want to understand what happened and what to do next.
You have the right to:
- clear information about your condition, options, risks, and benefits
- take time to consider your choices and ask questions
- fully understand what you are agreeing to do
- access your medical records
- seek a second opinion
- raise a concern or make a complaint without affecting your future care.
Download our guide: Raising concerns about endometriosis or pelvic pain care
Accessing your medical records
You can request:
- consultation notes, referrals
- imaging and pathology results
- operative notes and photos (explaining what the surgeon saw and did)
- your discharge summary and follow up instructions
How to request:
- Contact the clinic or hospital in writing.
- Keep a copy of your request and the date sent.
- Ask about when and how you will get the information (digital or hard copy).
- Depending on where you live, your local health complaints entity might be able to help you access your medical records – for example if a provider is requesting a fee to provide your records.
Seeking a second opinion
It’s okay to ask another doctor to review your situation.
A second opinion can help you:
- understand whether surgery was a reasonable option
- learn about alternatives
- plan your next steps and ongoing care.
To organise a second opinion speak with your GP or visit Endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.
Raise a concern or make a complaint
Choose the path that’s right for you:
- Talk to your clinician (optional)
A conversation can sometimes resolve questions quickly. You can bring a support person. - Contact the clinic or hospital
Ask to speak to their patient liaison or complaints team. They can explain processes, timeframes, and how they’ll respond. - Make a complaint to the health complaints entity in your area
- Make a complaint to an independent regulator
We are an independent regulator. We look at concerns about communication, consent, decision making, and professional conduct. In Queensland the independent regulator is the Office of the Health Ombudsman and in NSW the independent regulator is Health Care Complaints Commission.
If your care was not received in QLD or NSW you can make a complaint online via our Raise a concern page or call us 1300 361 041.
Download our detailed guide: Raising concerns about endometriosis or pelvic pain care
What to expect when you contact us
- Acknowledgement — we will confirm we’ve received your concern.
- Assessment — we will review what you’ve told us and advise next steps.
- Information gathering — we may request further information from you, or records or responses from providers.
- Outcome — we will advise you of the outcome of our assessments and the reason for the decision
- Updates — we keep you informed throughout.
Your care will not be affected because you raised a concern.
Things we generally can’t do:
- Provide clinical diagnoses or treatment.
- Review or advise on individual clinical decisions.
- Direct specific clinical care.
- Order refunds or compensation (we’ll let you know who might help).
- Provide advice on or for legal processes.
Support services
We understand this may be a difficult and distressing time. It is important to seek support if you need it. You can find support via:
- your GP (care coordination and referrals)
- counselling or mental health services
- women’s health and chronic pain services
- endometriosis support and peer networks
- health consumer advocacy organisations
You may also want to contact one of these endometriosis services: