Luca’s story

Luca contacted our office because he was dissatisfied with the outcome of a notification he had made to Ahpra following the death of a loved one in hospital. Although the Board had taken action against the practitioner, Luca was concerned that the Board had not addressed all the issues outlined in the notification.

We began an investigation into Luca’s concerns. We found that the handling of the notification was fair and reasonable and that the concerns and information he provided had been considered by Ahpra and the Board. However, we also did not identify a time where a staff member offered their condolences or sympathies for the loss of Luca’s family member while the notification was active.

While we found that the handling of the notification had adequately addressed the issues raised, we provided feedback that Ahpra and the Board’s communications could have been more empathetic during the notifications process. We did, however, commend Ahpra’s national complaints team for their respectful and compassionate correspondence.