HaDSCO Connect: October 2011
HaDSCO Annual Report published
Happy first anniversary HaDSCO
Supporting mental health week and carers week
HaDSCO writes new policy on cosmetic treatment complaints
HaDSCO focuses on prison outreach project
HaDSCO Annual Report published
The Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) 2010/11 Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday 28 September, by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Health; Tourism.
The Report outlines HaDSCO’s activities and financial performance during 2010/11 and provides a detailed and factual representation of HaDSCO’s performance over the past 12 months.
In particular, the Report outlines the important contribution HaDSCO made towards the improvement of health and disability services in Western Australia. More specifically, HaDSCO received 2,511 complaints, undertook five investigations, made recommendations for 68 service improvements and undertook 57 educational presentations to service providers on the topic of preventing and resolving complaints.
2010/11 was a year of immense change and improvement. Implementing legislative amendments to the Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995 was a key focus for the Office and the commitment of staff was exemplary. The dedication is clearly evident as statutory services continued while new procedures were developed.
Anne Donaldson, HaDSCO Director said: “I am honoured to present the Office’s first Annual Report since changing its name to HaDSCO. It has been a motivating experience to guide HaDSCO’s committed team through a time of great change and improvement.
“The work carried out this year has put HaDSCO in a strong starting position for 2011/12. Formalised policies and practice documents will guide the Office in service delivery, allowing HaDSCO to further support improvement through complaint resolution.
“This year has provided HaDSCO with an extraordinary opportunity to focus on the continuous development of service delivery standards. I am very enthusiastic about the year ahead and the potential opportunities that it brings for the ongoing development of HaDSCO’s services.”
The Report is available online at the HaDSCO website and is available for download as a whole document or as individual sections.
Happy first anniversary HaDSCO
On 30 November, The Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) will celebrate its first birthday since changing its name from the Office of Health Review.
The name change signified the implementation of a number of amendments to HaDSCO’s governing legislation the Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995 and the Office has been implementing these amendments: changing the Office’s name was the most high profile. Here’s what some of the HaDSCO staff had to say about the year:
Lenney, Acting Team Leader Conciliation: “It has been a challenging year. The conciliation team have incorporated the new amendments to our legislation into their work practices; they are conciliating more complaints involving providers of disability services, and are conducting more investigations. It is a pleasure to work with such a talented new team.”
Jenny, Assessment Team Leader: “Since changing its name to HaDSCO, the A team have noticed an increase in the number of calls we receive, showing the need for the name change. It has been a very busy year and I am proud of being in a committed team with colleagues dedicated to handling the increased demands.”
Bobbie, Communication Officer: “It’s been a big year for communications at HaDSCO, we have been busy this year setting up a new website and publications to maximise accessibility. Now we have more resources than ever to offer our clients!”
Anne Donaldson, HaDSCO Director: “It has been a thrill to lead staff so enthusiastic to embrace change and enhance the functioning of the Office.”
Organisations wishing to learn more about HaDSCO and its expanding role are invited to contact the Office and receive further information about the range of services.
HaDSCO provides presentations for a variety of organisations and welcomes further opportunities to increase the awareness and understanding of the Office. To arrange a presentation for your organisation please contact the HaDSCO Communication Officer on (08) 9323 0607.
Supporting mental health week and carers week
HaDSCO attended a number of events in support of this year’s Mental Health Week (10-16 October) and Carers Week (17-23 October).
With the aim to raise awareness of the HaDSCO services available to the users of health and disability services, HaDSCO lent its support to both weeks’ activities by attending a number of events including:
- The Mental Health Week Official Opening at Hyde Park
- The Mental Health Expo on the Mandurah foreshore
- Carers Week Expo in Cannington
- Carers workshops at a variety of locations in Perth
HaDSCO writes new policy on cosmetic treatment complaints
As an independent complaint resolution body, HaDSCO receives complaints regarding health and disability service providers. This service is governed by the Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995 (the Act), which outlines the types of complaints HaDSCO may process.
Frequently the Office receives calls from consumers about cosmetic treatment or surgery with complaints regarding the service they were given. Due to the nature of such complaints, cosmetic treatment may or may not be classed as a ‘health service’ and fit within HaDSCO’s jurisdiction. Whether HaDSCO may process a complaint on cosmetic treatment or surgery depends on whether the service received can be defines as a ‘health service’ under the Act.
In order to assist individuals understand whether or not the service they received can be classed as a health service, HaDSCO has produced a policy to outline which complaints the Office may accept with regards to the provision of cosmetic treatments.
The policy states: To constitute a ‘health service’, the cosmetic treatment must be a service provided as the diagnosis or treatment of a physical or mental disorder or suspected disorder.
Based on the above definition of a ‘health service’, a complaint may fall within HaDSCO’s jurisdiction if the cosmetic treatment or surgery was undertaken for a medical reason. For example, if breast augmentation is required to correct a malformation of breast tissue, disease or trauma of the breast.
HaDSCO may not process a complaint if the treatment:
- was obtained predominantly for the improvement of the appearance of the user
- did not affect the functioning of the body
- did not correct a bodily dysfunction.
HaDSCO could not accept a complaint for example, if a breast augmentation was undertaken purely for cosmetic purposes. In these cases, HaDSCO will refer the complainant to an alternative and more suitable organisation such as the Department of Commerce or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Section 75 data collected
HaDSCO’s Director recently wrote to each service provider, who provided complaint management data, to thank them for contributing to a key aspect of HaDSCO’s role: supporting the improvement of safety and quality in health care.
Under section 75 of the Health and Disability Services (Complaints) Act 1995, HaDSCO works with prescribed health service providers to provide an aggregated annual summary of complaints data. Thanks to the participating organisations’ contributions and preparedness to provide the complaints data in a timely way, the information supplied has been aggregated and presented within HaDSCO’s 2010/11 Annual Report.
HaDSCO staff are currently in the process of ensuring the information collected is continuously analysed effectively, enabling HaDSCO to review and identify the causes of complaints and potential opportunities to minimise these causes; improve complaints management systems; and in turn contribute to the safety and quality of health care in Western Australia.
Anne Donaldson, HaDSCO Director said: “The challenge for HaDSCO is to work with service providers to ensure we create a platform for meaningful information. I am currently reviewing the resources required to analyse the data and will make contact with providers in the near future to discuss options for how the gathering of meaningful information can be progressed.”
HaDSCO focuses on prison outreach project
As part of the Office’s continuing effort to improve accessibility to its services for all users and providers of health or disability services, HaDSCO has developed a new outreach program for those in prison.
HaDSCO will this month provide Western Australian prisons with resources and materials that will assist the users and providers of prison health services to understand the role of the Office and the service HaDSCO can provide. These resources include:
- Health and Disability Service Complaints: a small leaflet which outlines how complaints can be raised with service providers
- Posters: a short introduction to HaDSCO and how to raise concerns about health services while in prison
Contact HaDSCO on (08) 6551 7600 for further information regarding these materials and request resources for your organisation.
