The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights (ACHR) was developed by the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare in 2007 and 2008. The ACHR has been endorsed by Australia’s Health Ministers for use across the country.

The Charter applies to all healthcare settings within Australia.  This includes:

• medical specialists,
• day procedure facilities,
• private allied health clinics (psychologists, dentists, social workers, naturopaths, occupational therapists),
• public hospitals,
• private hospitals,
• GP clinics,
• community health centres.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights describes the rights of patients (and their family and carers) that use the Australian healthcare system.   The ACHR was created to ensure that patient’s receive high quality and safe healthcare services within Australia.

Click on the link below to access a Brochure outlining the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights:

https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/17537-charter.pdf

The following brochure discusses the Seven Charter rights and provides some advice to patients (and their carer’s and families) on how they can ensure that their rights are upheld:

https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/A-guide-for-patients-consumers-carers-and-families-v3.pdf

The Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare has been reviewing the ACHR (to create a second edition) via a public Consultation process throughout 2018 and during early 2019.  The Health Workers Union has participated in the consultation process and provided significant feedback to the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare.

A report on this consultation is available by clicking the link below:

Consultation Report Phase 1 – Review of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights – August 2018.

The Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare in in the process of completing their review and plans to release the updated version of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights later this year. 

Making a complaint about healthcare that you have received

Understand your rights as a healthcare consumer and what to do if these are not met. 

Do you know your healthcare rights?

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) assists the 15 National Boards that are responsible for regulating health professions. The key job of the National Boards is to protect the public and to set standards and policies that must be adhered to by registered health practitioners.

Would you like to make a complaint about a health practitioner?

Alternatively, if you would like to make a Complaint about Commonwealth Government departments and agencies, you must contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman. 

Click on the following link to make a complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman also deals with complaints in the following areas:

• Private Health Insurance,
• Overseas Students with private education providers,
• the Defence Force,
• Immigration,
• Law Enforcement,
• the Postal Industry,
• Public Interest Disclosure Scheme.

If you would like to make a complaint about the quality of aged care that you or a loved one has received, please click on the following link:

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission