Feedback & Complaints

We are here to listen to your feedback, both positive and negative.

We aim to provide our patients with the best possible care at all times. We also welcome your feedback. This helps us continually improve our services by letting us know what works well and what might need to change, to improve the quality and safety of care provided at the South West Medical Centre. Results from our most recent Patient Feedback Survey can be found here.

We welcome positive feedback, so we that we can share this information with our dedicated staff and let them know how much patients appreciate their work.

Sometimes your experience may not meet your expectations. We encourage you to raise these concerns so that we have the opportunity to act on this feedback.

First Steps:

• Wherever possible, we encourage you to discuss your concerns directly with the Practice Manager.
• It is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve the issue so speak to the Practice Manager in the first instance
• Act quickly, Speak with someone as soon as possible so the information and recollection of your experience is clear and a resolution can be reached

If you feel your concerns have not been sufficiently addressed then we encourage you to make a complaint to the quality team at South West Healthcare.

• Anyone can make a complaint. We accept feedback from anyone who has used our service, as well as from people not directly involved such as visitors, community care workers or professional groups. You can also make a complaint on behalf of someone else who has used the service but, as a courtesy, you should seek and obtain consent before doing so.
• You can make a complaint anonymously if you wish. Anonymous feedback is welcome; you do not need to provide your name. However, without these details, we may be unable to adequately investigate your concerns and provide you with a response to your feedback.
• You can register your complaint in writing by using this online form
• You can write a letter addressed to the Quality Manager at South West Healthcare, email feedback@swh.net.au or you can simply phone a member of the quality team on 03 5563 4074

The quality team is staffed weekdays from 9:00am – 4:00pm. If your call is not answered, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

We take complaints seriously and aim to resolve them quickly and fairly. However, if you are not satisfied with the response received from South West Healthcare, we recommend that you contact:

• The Health Complaints Commissioner is an independent statutory authority established to receive and resolve complaints about health service providers. This is a free and confidential service.  Telephone 1300 582 113. Website https://hcc.vic.gov.au/
• The Mental Health Complaints Commissioneris an independent, specialist body under the Mental Health Act 2014 (the Act) to safeguard rights, resolve complaints about Victorian public mental health services and recommend improvements.  Telephone 1800 246 054. Website https://www.mhcc.vic.gov.au/
• The Disability Services Commissioneris an independent oversight body resolving complaints and promoting the right of people with a disability to be free from abuse. Telephone 1800 677 342. Website https://odsc.vic.gov.au/