Feedback

We welcome feedback

We welcome your feedback regarding our organisation, programs and services. At SEMPHN we strive for continuous improvement and your feedback helps us to deliver our key goals in line with our organisational values.

External Complaints Statement

View this statement, which is a short version of our External Complaints Policy.   

Please contact SEMPHN directly with complaints regarding:

• how SEMPHN commissioning processes were undertaken
• stakeholder engagement
• providers funded by SEMPHN

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How to make a complaint or provide feedback

You can give feedback in a number of ways:

• Complete this form
• Contact our Feedback Officer on 1300 331 981 (press option 6)
• Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Send a letter by post: Level 2, 15 Corporate Drive, Heatherton VIC 3202

Please note, the feedback email account is monitored during business hours only and should NOT be used to report clinical incidents. Go to this page to report a clinical incident.  

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PHN Complaints Policy

Complaints may be filed directly to SEMPHN at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or under specific circumstances, directly to the Commonwealth Department of Health at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

You may contact the Department of Health about complaints regarding:

• suspected fraud against the Commonwealth by a funded organisation;
• misuse of Commonwealth funds or assets purchased with Commonwealth funds;
• non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the funding agreement with the Commonwealth;
• inappropriate or poor handling of conflicts of interest;
• breaches of privacy; and complaints about the outcome of a departmental assessment.

For more information, see the PHN Program Complaint Policy. 

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Policy Statement

This is a brief version of SEMPHN’s Complaints Policy. Full copies of the policy are available by request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

SEMPHN is committed to fairness, accessibility, responsibility and efficiency in dealing with complaints. All complaints will be managed in an equitable, objective, and confidential manner.  

SEMPHN endeavours to respond to all complaints within a three (3) business day timeframe and resolve complaints within a ten (10) business day timeframe.  Exceptions to these timeframes are allowed with permission from the relevant General Manager, in consultation with the General Manager, Strategic Relations.

Objectives of the Complaints Policy

• To provide employees, partners, clients, families/carers and stakeholders with a clear policy that enables people to register concerns and complaints about SEMPHN or services commissioned by SEMPHN
• To ensure complaints are appropriately recorded and investigated
• To provide a resolution to the complaint and instigate changes to ensure issues identified in the complaint are reviewed and changed if required
• To ensure risks to SEMPHN or other organisations are managed effectively.

Scope

Complaints may be received from an organisation or person external to SEMPHN who falls into one or more of these categories:

• is a member of the public
• is or was the intended or actual recipient of services provided by SEMPHN or a service provider commissioned by SEMPHN
• is a third party acting in good faith on behalf of an aggrieved person (e.g. a carer, a parent of a minor, an elderly person’s child who has medical power of attorney)
• has or intends to submit a tender for commissioned services
• is or has been a commissioned service provider, or other provider to SEMPHN of goods and services
• Complaints can be verbal or written, formal or informal and may be anonymous.

The policy provides direction around the receipt, management and resolution of complaints and applies to:

• all staff
• contractors and consultants
• Clinical and Community Council members
• Board members.

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Policy in Practice

SEMPHN has an appointed Feedback Officer

SEMPHN has assigned the role of Feedback Officer to a permanent staff member. 

The Feedback Officer is responsible for managing and executing the overall process for complaints; and manages complaints in conjunction with a General Manager Strategic Relations.

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Employees must ask the person making the complaint if they wish to make a formal complaint

Employees who receive a complaint (by whatever means) must ask the person making the complaint if they wish to make a formal complaint and advise them of the process they can use to make a formal complaint.  These are provided above in the How to make a complaint or provide feedback section above. 

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SEMPHN maintains a Complaint Register

The Feedback Officer will log each complaint into SEMPHN’s Complaints Register and manage the response and/ resolution with managers and General Managers within SEMPHN.  

The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner may re-open any complaint at any time after the case has been closed. For this reason, SEMPHN must maintain the Complaint Register in perpetuity. 

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People making a complaint may use external support

A person making a complaint or people - such as carers - acting on their behalf may:

• use an advocate to help them present their complaint, or respond to our investigation of a formal complaint, with written permission from the person making the complaint to act on their behalf
• seek support from an external organisation or body (e.g. solicitors, community bodies).

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SEMPHN will promptly acknowledge and investigate all formal complaints and keep relevant parties informed

Every formal complaint will be acknowledged within three (3) business days of receipt, by the Feedback Officer and investigated.

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SEMPHN will identify and implement changes to prevent a recurrence

If the investigation of a complaint identifies reasonable changes (e.g. to systems, policies, procedures or behaviour) that could prevent a recurrence of the problem, SEMPHN will plan and implement those changes and notify the person making the complaint of these changes, if appropriate.

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Escalation of a complaint

If the person making the complaint is not satisfied with the response and/or resolution provided, SEMPHN must inform them that they have the right to contact the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner. Contact details are available at www.hcc.vic.gov.au.

Complainants may also escalate the complaint to the Commonwealth Department of Health. See the PHN Complaint Policy section above. 

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Associated tags

• feedback