Feedback about NT Health services

NT Health handles complaints based on the following principles.

• Accessibility – the complaint process is easy and accessible to all.  Everyone can make a complaint, and get help if needed.
• Confidentiality – we protect your personal information and your complaint is not saved on your medical record.  You can complain anonymously if you wish.
• Continuous improvement – we use your complaint to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Accountability – we have a clear process for complaint management and we follow it.  We explain our decisions and offer opportunities for review and/or escalation.
• Fairness – we manage complaints fairly and impartially.  Complaints are assessed on facts and handled respectively.
• Transparency - we explain how to complain, what happens next, and main evidence and documentation.

We accept all complaints related to our services. For a list of services, go to NT Health contacts.

Examples of complaint common issues are:

• access – delays in receiving services, long wait times
• treatment – issues with coordination of care, diagnosis, medication, infections
• communication – insufficient information provided, unable to understand information, rudeness
• respect and equality – discrimination, disrespectful treatment
• privacy – inappropriate disclosure of information.

If your complaint is about Health Services, outside of NT Health, such as private practices or Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, you can lodge your complaint directly with them or with the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission. The Commission is an independent organisation assisting with the resolution of complaints.

Accessibility Support

Talk to a member of staff to get assistance.

If you need an interpreter or are helping someone who needs an interpreter, find out about interpreter services in the Northern Territory.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, use the National Relay Service: 1300 366 356.

• frontline resolution – our staff may resolve your complaint directly at the point of service
• investigation – if more complex, your complaint may be referred for further review
• internal review – if you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can request a review/escalation
• external review – if you’re still unhappy, we’ll explain external options and provide you with information for external organisations such as the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission.

Timelines

• We aim to acknowledge complaints within 5 calendar days.
• A response should be provided within 35 days.
• If it takes longer, we will provide you with progress updates every 20 days.

During investigation

During investigation, we may:

• contact you for more information, for example, what outcomes you are seeking as a result of your complaint
• contact you to seek your consent if the complaint was lodged on your behalf
• review your medical records
• discuss your complaint with the team/staff member(s) who looked after you
• review policies, guideline and procedures guiding the care you received.

Response

• A response may be provided verbally or in writing.
• For complex or sensitive complaints, we may invite you to a meeting to discuss your concerns and provide information.

Anything you say will be treated confidentially and will not appear in your medical record. By lodging a complaint, you provide consent for NT Health to review your medical records as part of the investigation.  Your complaint may also be discussed with the staff who looked after you so they can provide information to assist with the investigation and resolution.

The personal information you provide will be managed in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles contained in the Information Act 2002 and will only be collected, stored, used and disclosed in a manner that accords with privacy laws.

We will not disclose your personal information to a third party unless we are authorised or required by law to do so or you give us your consent to share your personal information for a specific purpose.

If you are not happy with how NT Health handled your complaint, you can contact an external organisation. Links to the external organisations you can contact are provided below.

For health complaints, you can reach out for:

• mental health and disability services, community Visitor Program
• all services, Health and Community Services Complaints Commission.

Other independent bodies who may be able to assist:

• The Children’s Commissioner of the Northern Territory
• The NT Ombudsman
• The Anti-Discrimination Commission

Hospital emergency departments (EDs) are for emergencies.

If you need emergency or urgent medical attention you should call 000.

If you don’t require urgent care you can:

• visit a general practitioner (GP)
• phone Healthdirect on 1800 022 222
• use the online symptom checker on the Health Direct website
• visit an urgent care clinic.

Waiting to be seen in the ED

Waiting in the ED can be hard, especially if you feel sick, worried or in pain.

When you come to ED, a nurse will assess how urgent your care is. This is called the triage process. People with more serious problems get seen first.

NT Health uses the Australian Triage Scale. This is a national system used throughout Australia and New Zealand.

If you feel you are getting sicker or if your pain is getting worse while waiting, let the staff know. You may need to be re-assessed.

Why some people get seen before you in ED

The order people are seen in can change for a few reasons:

• triage category - when you come to ED a nurse will assess how urgent your care is
• number of patients - sometimes, there are a lot of people needing help. This can lead to longer wait times as staff work to care for everyone safely
• emergencies - it’s hard to know when there will be lots of sick people needing urgent care. Staff may not know how long you will have to wait
• different waiting areas - there are other waiting rooms inside some of the NT Health hospital EDs, so you may not see all people waiting for treatment. Some people who are very sick and need immediate care can arrive through a different door
• resources - sometimes, the right equipment or doctors are not available right away so others may be seen while waiting.

If you have a complaint or question about your specialist appointment read the following information.

Urgent specialist referral - appointments

There could be a few reasons why you have not yet received an appointment for your urgent specialist referral.

Medical triage

Specialist doctors assess all referrals when they are received. They are categorised based on how urgent they are. This may result in an urgent GP request being changed to non-urgent.

New referrals

The outpatient clinics can receive a large amount of new referrals each day, so there can be delays in registering and assessing these.

There are times where there are extended waiting times for specialist outpatient appointments. If your condition changes whilst waiting to see a specialist, you should see your GP for a review and an updated referral can be made.

If you get an appointment somewhere else and don’t need your outpatient appointment anymore let us know so we can withdraw your referral.

Delay in receiving a surgery date

After seeing a specialist, waiting for surgery can be stressful. There are many reasons why the waiting list might take time, these include;

• priority - cases which are most urgent are done first. Patients can also come through the ED at any time that may require emergency surgery
• resources - there might not be enough operating rooms or staff, which unfortunately causes theatre waiting list delays
• your health - changes in you condition before surgery might mean more tests or consultations are needed.

If your condition changes and/or gets worse, see your GP for an updated referral. This may mean that your need for surgery may be more urgent and you may be treated earlier.

If you have your surgery somewhere else let us know so we can cancel your appointment.