Notification complaints

The role of notifications

The notification process is one of the important ways that the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the National Boards are informed of potential risks to patient safety.

Anyone can make a notification to Ahpra about a registered health practitioner if they have a concern about the health, conduct or performance of the practitioner.

Ahpra gathers information about the notification and presents it to the relevant National Board. The National Board then decides whether it needs to take regulatory action to protect the public. Examples of regulatory action include putting conditions on the practitioner’s registration (such as restricting which medications they prescribe) or cautioning the practitioner.

Common notification complaints

Most of the complaints we receive are Ombudsman complaints about the handling of a notification by Ahpra or a National Board. In 2021–22 notification-related complaints accounted for 38 per cent of all complaints to the Ombudsman.

From July 2018 to June 2021, over half of all complaints to the Ombudsman each financial year related to the handling of a notification. 

Complainants about the notification process often include concerns that:

• the National Board did not consider all relevant information when making decisions about the notification
• Ahpra or the National Board misunderstood the notification or did not address all issues raised in the notification
• Ahpra did not adequately explain the reasons for the National Board’s decisions
• Ahpra’s communication was inadequate, particularly in relation to updates about the progress of the notification
• Ahpra did not progress the notification in a timely manner
• Ahpra did not provide information about its internal complaint-handling process to a person who expressed dissatisfaction
• Ahpra did not respond to a complaint about the handling of a notification in accordance with its policy.

Find out more about common complaint outcomes