Medical Board of Australia Complaints and Notifications Explained
Few things unsettle a doctor more than learning that a concern has been raised about them. This guide explains how complaints and notifications about doctors work in Australia — who can make one, the part the Medical Board of Australia and AHPRA play, how a matter is assessed, and the outcomes that can follow.
Key takeaways
- A complaint about a doctor usually becomes a “notification” — a concern about a doctor’s conduct, performance or health raised with AHPRA and the Medical Board of Australia.
- Anyone can raise a concern; in limited circumstances, practitioners and employers must make a mandatory notification.
- Concerns are assessed against the standard set out in Good Medical Practice, the Board’s code of conduct.
- Most notifications are resolved with no action or a low-level outcome; only a minority lead to conditions or referral to a tribunal.
- Engage your medical defence organisation early, respond thoughtfully, and look after your wellbeing.
Who handles complaints about doctors?
The Medical Board of Australia and AHPRA (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) work in partnership. AHPRA manages the process, while the Board — made up of doctors and community members — makes the regulatory decisions. The benchmark for assessing a doctor’s conduct is Good Medical Practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia.
In New South Wales, concerns about doctors are managed under a co-regulatory model involving the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) and the Medical Council of NSW. In Queensland, the Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) receives complaints and may handle or refer them.
Complaint or notification — what’s the difference?
People usually talk about “making a complaint.” In regulatory language, once that concern reaches AHPRA or the Board it is handled as a notification — a concern about a doctor’s conduct, clinical performance, or health (an impairment that may affect safe practice). A notification is not a finding of wrongdoing; it is the start of an assessment.
Who can raise a concern?
Anyone can make a voluntary notification — a patient, a family member, a colleague or a member of the public — and people who do so in good faith are protected by law.
Doctors, employers and education providers must make a mandatory notification in defined circumstances. The four grounds of notifiable conduct are practising while intoxicated, sexual misconduct, placing the public at risk because of an impairment, or a significant departure from accepted professional standards. The threshold is high and was eased on 1 March 2020 to support doctors seeking their own health care.
What commonly leads to complaints about doctors?
Concerns about doctors most often relate to:
- clinical care and decision-making;
- communication, attitude and behaviour;
- medication and prescribing;
- consent and shared decision-making;
- confidentiality and privacy;
- documentation and record keeping;
- professional boundaries;
- health or impairment; and
- honesty and probity — for example, reports and certificates.
Most of these map directly onto sections of Good Medical Practice, which is why understanding the code is the best protection against a complaint.
How a notification is assessed
AHPRA gathers information and assesses the level of risk, usually aiming to finish within about 60 days. The Medical Board then decides the next step — which can be no further action, a caution, accepting an undertaking, imposing conditions, referring the matter for investigation, or referring the doctor for a health or performance assessment. If there is a serious risk to the public, the Board can take immediate action (such as conditions or suspension) while the matter proceeds, and the doctor has the right to respond.
Possible outcomes
Most matters end with no further action or a low-level outcome. More serious matters can lead to conditions, undertakings, or referral to a tribunal, which in the most serious cases (professional misconduct) can suspend or cancel a doctor’s registration.
What to do if you receive one
Contact your medical defence organisation or indemnity insurer and your professional association before you respond. Preserve your records and never alter or back-date notes. Then prepare a considered, honest and reflective response — our guide to responding to an AHPRA notification sets out how.
Related CPD courses
Build the knowledge and reflective skills this article describes with CPD designed for Australian practitioners:
CPD courseDealing with a Complaint or Investigation Professionally CPD courseFitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals CPD courseProfessionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors CPD courseInsight for Fitness to PractiseContinue the Medical Board series
Good Medical Practice Reflective Practice and Insight for DoctorsFrequently asked questions
Is a complaint the same as a notification?
In practice, yes. Once a concern about a doctor reaches AHPRA or the Medical Board, it is handled as a notification.
Will a notification appear on the public register?
Generally not while it is open. If conditions or undertakings are imposed, those may be published on the register.
What standard am I judged against?
Good Medical Practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia — the Medical Board’s code of conduct.
Can I keep practising during the process?
Usually yes, unless the Board takes immediate action because of a serious risk to the public.
Should I get help straight away?
Yes. Contact your medical defence organisation or indemnity insurer as soon as you are aware of a concern; they can advise you and arrange representation.
This article is general information for education and CPD purposes. It is not legal advice and does not create a practitioner–adviser relationship. If you have received a notification, seek advice from your indemnity insurer or medical defence organisation, your professional association, or an independent lawyer experienced in medical regulation matters. Healthcare Ethics Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of AHPRA or any National Board; regulator names are used for reference only.