How do I provide feedback about my care or the care of a family member?
Western Health welcomes and encourages patients and their families to give us feedback about your experiences. Your feedback is important to us and helps us to have a better understanding of what we are doing well and where we can improve. You can provide feedback to Western Health in a number of different ways.
Make a suggestion to improve care
Talk to the staff, or the manager of the area where you or your family member is receiving care
Fill out a feedback form online. If you prefer a paper form, please ask a staff member to provide you with a paper feedback form or you can collect one from our patient information areas located near reception in each of our sites.
Contact the Patient Representative Team with details listed below
Share a compliment about our staff
Talk to the manager of the area, or leave a written message or card for staff
Fill out a feedback form online. If you prefer a paper form, please ask a staff member to provide you with a paper feedback form or you can collect one from our patient information areas located near reception in each of our sites.
Make a complaint
Talk to the staff caring for you or your family member. If you don’t feel comfortable talking directly with the staff member caring for you or your family member, the Nurse in Charge, or the manager of the area, will listen to your concerns. This is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve your concerns.
Fill out a feedback form online. If you prefer a paper form, please ask a staff member to provide you with a paper feedback form or you can collect one from our patient information areas located near reception in each of our sites.
If, after speaking with staff, you are not satisfied or would feel more comfortable talking to someone else, please contact the Patient Representative Team with details listed below
Provide feedback in another language
You can request an interpreter and speak to the staff caring for you about your feedback
Write to us in your own language. We will have your feedback translated, and it will be managed according to our standard processes.
You can also contact the Patient Representative Team on the details listed below and ask request for an interpreter to be made available for you to provide feedback
What happens with my feedback?
Your feedback will be directed to the most appropriate person for information, follow up or investigation. If you have requested a response to your complaint or have made an enquiry, a Western Health employee will contact you. Western Health aims to provide you with a resolution within 35 days, however, we always try to respond as quickly as possible. Please note, our timeframe for response can vary based on the complexity of the issues you’ve raised and level of investigation required.
In the interest of workplace safety and wellbeing, we will not respond to abusive messages. Our staff reserve the right to terminate phone calls and the feedback process should abusive or threatening language be utilised.
The Patient Representative Team
If you feel your concerns were not resolved, and you would like further help, please contact the Patient Representative Team, through one of the following methods
The Patient Representative Team is staffed weekdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. If your call is not answered, or you are only able to make contact outside these hours, please leave a message and the Patient Representative team will return your call as soon as possible.
What if I am unhappy with the response received from Western Health?
If you are not satisfied with our service, please contact the Patient Representative. We take complaints seriously and aim to resolve them quickly and fairly.
If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may contact the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC). The HCC responds to complaints about health services and the handling of health information in Victoria. Their service is free, confidential and impartial. To lodge a complaint with the HCC:
Fill out a complaint form online at hcc.vic.gov.au or
Phone 1300 582 113 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday to discuss your complaint.
