Annual report 2024–25

Ombudsman and Commissioner’s message

This financial year has seen the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) respond to emerging challenges and reform opportunities. This included the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the National Health Practitioner Boards implementing a new operating system and acting to improve overseas-qualified practitioner assessment processes. Notably, this included the Medical Board of Australia creating an expedited pathway to registration in some medical specialties via a previously unused legislative provision.

My office’s role in ensuring decision-making processes are fair, transparent and align with relevant legislative requirements is particularly important during times of transition. In 2024–25 we effectively responded to a significant increase in complaints, finalising a record 981 Ombudsman complaints (up from 660 complaints in 2023–24). This increase in demand for our services was in part driven by health practitioners experiencing issues when accessing Ahpra’s new operating system for the first time. The system’s privacy, functionality and accessibility improvements are likely to help prevent complaints in the future. However, many nurses and midwives needed Ahpra’s assistance to use the new system to renew their registration, which Ahpra struggled for some time to provide. My office assisted practitioners to find Ahpra’s troubleshooting resources and put them in touch with Ahpra when they could not contact Ahpra staff to resolve their concerns.

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Richelle McCausland

National Health Practitioner Ombudsman
National Health Practitioner Privacy Commissioner

How we assisted with complaints to the Ombudsman in 2024–25
 

We provide fair, impartial and proportionate responses to complaints, and support people to navigate the health practitioner regulatory system and access resolutions where possible.

In 2024–25 we received 980 complaints to the Ombudsman, up from 691 in 2023–24. We finalised 981 complaints, up from 660 in 2023–24. This means we addressed more complaints this financial year than ever before.

Consistent with previous reporting trends, most Ombudsman complaints received in 2024–25 were about Ahpra and the National Boards’ process for receiving and managing concerns about a registered health practitioner (a ‘notification’) (508 complaints in 2024–25, up from 435 in 2023–24).

This financial year we also received significantly more complaints about a registration matter (355 complaints, up from 123 complaints in 2023–24). This included receiving more complaints about how medical registration fees were charged. We also saw more nurses and midwives making complaints about accessing Ahpra’s new practitioner portal when seeking to renew their registration.

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How we assisted with privacy complaints

In 2024–25 we received:

• 16 privacy complaints to the Commissioner, up from 12 in 2023–24
• 3 notifications of eligible data breaches, down from 7 in 2023–24.

In 2024–25 we saw a small increase in privacy complaints to the Commissioner. Most complaints related to the inappropriate use or disclosure of personal information (such as sending an email to the wrong person). This is consistent with previous complaint trends. 

We finalised more privacy complaints in 2024–25 than we have in the office’s history (16 complaints, up from 14 in 2023–24 and 8 in 2022–23). Refer to the ‘Privacy’ section of this report for more information.

Actively creating a better system

We work proactively to identify broader issues in the administration of the National Scheme and bring about system improvements.

We use complaints data and trends to inform public discussions on health practitioner regulation. An important way we contribute is through making submissions in response to public consultations.