Annual report 2025–26

Ombudsman and Commissioner’s message

When creating the system that regulates health practitioners, legislators recognised the importance of ensuring it has an independent voice for fairness in my office. Our annual report this financial year highlights the wisdom of this decision and the benefits that come from genuine engagement with dissatisfaction and its causes.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s (Ahpra’s) acceptance of my suggestions for improvement following my investigation into the charging model for health practitioner registration fees in 2025–26 provides an instructive example. This investigation was initiated after we identified an ongoing trend of practitioners raising concerns about the fairness of being charged more than once for (what was described as) an annual registration fee. Ahpra has now introduced a pro rata fee rebate for those returning to work after taking a form of protected leave (such as parental leave) and announced a broader review into how it charges fees. These positive systemic changes have come from Ahpra’s willingness to listen to, and engage with, practitioners’ concerns.

In addition to our broader systemic work, my office has continued to provide an independent complaint-handling service that people can turn to when needed. In 2025–26 we helped with more privacy complaints and freedom of information review applications than in previous financial years. 

We addressed 862 complaints to the Ombudsman during 2025–26 (down from 981 complaints in 2024–25). I welcomed a reduction in the number of complaints we received from practitioners about Ahpra’s new operating system and medical registration fees when compared with last financial year. Importantly, Ahpra listened to feedback and proactively helped practitioners to navigate common issues experienced when using its practitioner portal in 2025–26. 

While there was a small reduction in the number of Ombudsman complaints received this financial year, over time more people have accessed our Ombudsman complaint services (complaints increased by 26% compared with 2023–24), indicating more people know how and when to contact us.

I hope our annual report’s focus on how challenging experiences have positively transformed processes in 2025–26 gives you renewed energy and optimism for the year ahead, as it has for me.

Download our annual report to read the whole message

Richelle McCausland

National Health Practitioner Ombudsman
National Health Practitioner Privacy Commissioner

How we assisted with complaints to the Ombudsman in 2025–26

This financial year we continued to provide an independent complaint-handling service individuals can turn to with concerns about how health practitioners are regulated. We successfully finalised 92% of approaches we received within 3 months.

We received 873 complaints to the Ombudsman in 2025–26, down from 980 in 2024–25. This is a welcome reduction from last financial year, when complaint levels spiked following an increase in medical practitioner registration fees and the rollout of Ahpra’s new operating system. 

We received significantly more complaints this financial year than in 2022–23 and 2023–24. This shows that more people are accessing our services, and we are managing a general upward trend in complaints.

Our office has consistently received most Ombudsman complaints in relation to the medical, nursing and psychology professions. This was again the case in 2025–26.

This financial year we finalised 862 Ombudsman complaints, down from 981 in 2024–25. We aim to resolve complaints informally and as quickly as possible. Most complaints are finalised without the need for an investigation. As in previous years, we finalised most complaints in 2025–26 at the assessment stage without taking any further action (550, down from 705 in 2024–25).

We finalised 32 complaints following an investigation, up from 27 in 2024–25. We recorded 75 outcomes across these complaints. Most investigations resulted in our office providing a further explanation of the relevant decision or action to the complainant (29) and providing feedback to the organisation that had been complained about (25). We also recorded 8 outcomes where systemic improvements were currently in development or had been achieved.

How we assisted with privacy complaints

In 2025–26 we helped a record number of people with concerns about the handling of their personal information. We received 28 complaints to the Commissioner, up from 16 complaints in 2024–25.

The increase in complaints was primarily due to Ahpra proactively informing 2 large groups of people about accidental data breaches involving their personal information. Ahpra provided those people with information about the Commissioner’s ability to help with complaints. This prompted people to contact us for help.

Due to the increase in privacy complaints received by our office, we finalised more complaints than ever before in 2025–26 (29). Most complaints were finalised at the assessment stage of our complaints process (26 complaints). This was generally because we could address the complainant’s concerns by providing more information about the nature of the interference with their privacy. In these cases we were also satisfied that the organisation complained about had taken appropriate action to address the privacy concerns.

Actively creating a better system

We work proactively to identify broader issues in administering the National Scheme and bring about system improvements. In 2025–26 key milestones included:

• Ahpra and the National Boards accepting the Ombudsman’s suggestions for improvement following her report on the investigation into the charging model for health practitioner registration fees

• providing 12 submissions on important issues affecting the National Scheme, including 5 submissions to public consultation processes

• finalising and providing the Processes for Progress review’s Part 2 report, following comprehensive consultation, to the Health Workforce Taskforce for consideration.