Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor (NCD) welcomes feedback and treats complaints as opportunities to improve care. This policy is written in plain English and is underpinned by Australian health regulation and consumer law. It aligns with Ahpra and Medical Board guidance for cosmetic practice, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) framework, ACCC consumer protections, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) adverse event reporting, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) privacy law, NSW Health record retention rules, and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) standards. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8}

1. Scope & Principles

This policy covers feedback and complaints about clinical care, communication, fees, access, privacy, and safety at NCD. We commit to respectful handling, timely responses, transparency, and learning from outcomes, consistent with national safety and quality standards. ⁸

2. How to Provide Feedback or Make a Complaint

Patients (or their representatives) can contact us via phone, email, web form, or in person. We offer assistance for language or accessibility needs. Written acknowledgement is provided, along with an expected timeframe for response. If the complaint concerns privacy or access to records, we follow OAIC APP procedures. ^{6 8}

3. Triage & Risk Assessment

Complaints are triaged by severity: (a) administrative/service issues, (b) clinical care concerns, and (c) safety/adverse events. Clinical safety concerns are escalated to the senior clinician and may require a formal clinical review. Adverse events potentially related to medicines or devices are assessed for TGA reporting. ^{5 1 2}

4. Timeframes & Communication

Acknowledgement is usually sent within 2 business days. We aim to provide a substantive response within 10–20 business days, depending on complexity. Where more time is required (e.g., specialist input), we will update the patient regularly. We communicate outcomes clearly and, where appropriate, offer remedies consistent with Australian Consumer Law. ^{4 8}

5. Remedies & Consumer Rights

Where services have not been provided with due care and skill, we may offer remedies in line with the Consumer Guarantees (e.g., re‑performance, partial refund). Because clinical outcomes vary between individuals, results are not guaranteed; however, proven errors will be addressed fairly. ^{4 2}

6. External Escalation Options

If a complaint cannot be resolved with NCD, patients can contact: the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC NSW) for health service complaints; Ahpra/Medical Board for professional conduct and practitioner concerns; the ACCC for misleading advertising or unfair trading; and the OAIC for privacy complaints. ^{3 1 2 4 6}

7. Privacy & Confidentiality in Complaints

Personal information gathered during complaints is handled under the Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles. Patients may request access to and correction of their information. Only necessary details are shared with external bodies during investigations. ⁶

8. Documentation & Record‑Keeping

We document complaints, investigations, outcomes, and improvement actions. Complaint records are stored securely and retained according to NSW Health retention rules. ^{7 6}

9. Non‑Retaliation & Fairness

Patients will not be disadvantaged for providing feedback or lodging a complaint. We treat all complainants respectfully and fairly and provide continuity of care. ⁸

10. Quality Improvement & Reporting

We review trends in complaints to improve systems, training, and patient information. Where relevant, de‑identified learnings are shared with staff during clinical governance meetings. Adverse events related to therapeutic goods are reported to the TGA. ^{5 8}

Sources

1. Ahpra (2025), Guidelines for non‑surgical cosmetic procedures (governance & complaints expectations) Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/2025-01-31-Guidelines.aspx ↩︎
2. Medical Board of Australia (2023), Cosmetic medical and surgical procedures guidelines Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx ↩︎
3. HCCC NSW (2025), How to make a complaint (independent health complaints body) Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Complaints/How-to-make-a-complaint ↩︎
4. ACCC (2023), Complaints handling & Consumer guarantees (services) Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees ↩︎
5. TGA (2025), Reporting adverse events for medicines and medical devices Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.tga.gov.au/reporting-adverse-events ↩︎
6. OAIC (2025), Privacy Act & Australian Privacy Principles (complaint handling & access/correction) Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles ↩︎
7. NSW Health (2020), PD2020_025 Health Records: retention & disposal Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/2020/PD2020_025.html ↩︎
8. ACSQHC (2019), Partnering with Consumers Standard (feedback & complaints) Link, viewed 8 October 2025, https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/partnering-consumers-standard ↩︎