Right 1 Access

1
Right 1 Access

• Right to access health and community services
• John and Mary
• John Marys 40 year old son, Daniel, died in an
  aged care facility
• they complained that the aged care facility was
  inappropriate for Daniels age
• HCSCC arranged a meeting for John and Mary with
  the service provider
• they explained that there was nothing else
  available but there were plans for a facility to
  care for younger people
• John and Mary became involved in the Consumer
  Advisory Group and helped to plan the new
  facility

2
Right 2 Safety

• Right to be safe and free from abuse
• Hayden
• told HCSCC he was forcibly restrained and
  injected by hospital staff
• the hospital said Hayden had woken in a confused
  state and could have become aggressive
• a Code Black was called. Code Black is how the
  hospital deals with the risk to staff from
  aggressive patients
• HCSCC found the hospital had inappropriately used
  the Code Black procedure as Hayden had not been
  aggressive
• HCSCC recommended that the hospital improve their
  procedures and apologise to Hayden

3
Right 2 Safety

• Right to be safe and free from abuse
• Donna
• a young woman with an intellectual disability was
  vulnerable due to her high risk behaviours
• Donnas service provider was making plans for her
  to be a part of a new accommodation service
• Donna was to be housed with a group of men whose
  backgrounds involved drug abuse and criminal
  offending
• HCSCC intervened after finding that Donnas
  safety may be compromised
• the service provider changed their decision and
  found alternative housing for Donna

4
Right 3 Quality

• Right to quality service
• Rose
• complained for her husband, Peter, who was in
  hospital for rehabilitation
• through a disability service Rose organised
  bathroom alterations to allow wheelchair access
  so that Peter could return home
• Rose was unhappy with the quality of the
  contractors work and said the renovations failed
  to meet the standards required
• she complained to the service provider but they
  did not respond
• Peters discharge was delayed
• HCSCC found the service providers complaints
  process and procedures for monitoring contractors
  needed improving
• HCSCC mediation with Rose and the service
  provider resolved the complaint

5
Right 3 Quality

• Right to quality service
• Fatima
• was a foster carer who was concerned that 8 year
  old Georgia was not being seen by her case worker
• she contacted the service provider and was told
  someone would visit soon but nothing happened
• Fatima was particularly concerned because Georgia
  had become unsettled and withdrawn
• HCSCC contacted the service provider and they
  admitted visits should have happened
• the service made an appointment to assess Georgia
  and allocated a case worker

6
Right 4 Respect

• Right to be treated with respect
• Mary
• complained on behalf of her Aboriginal son,
  Thomas about his mental health services
• she complained that there was a lack of cultural
  sensitivity because Thomas was allocated a female
  doctor
• due to the poor relationship Thomas had with his
  doctor, she had refused to give him a letter
  supporting his application for housing
• HCSCC requested that the service provider review
  Thomass care
• after a review Thomas was allocated a male doctor
  who provided the letter of support

7
Right 4 Respect

• Right to be treated with respect
• Mario
• has a disability and needs daily support to
  manage his feeding
• he complained that his carers were not turning
  up, not calling him and often made him late for
  work
• he had complained to the service, but felt they
  didnt treat him with respect or understand his
  reliance on the service
• HCSCC organised a meeting for Mario to talk to
  the service managers
• the service managers apologised to Mario and told
  him they would listen to him in future
• HCSCC checked with Mario later and he said
  communication had improved

8
Right 5 Information

• Right to be informed
• Jim
• was told minor surgery would involve an overnight
  stay but instead he was put in an induced coma
  for a week
• HCSCC found that the hospitals actions were
  reasonable because Jim had had an allergic
  reaction to the anaesthetic
• HCSCC facilitated a meeting with hospital staff
  to provide an explanation to Jim and answer his
  questions
• Jim was assisted with his recovery, thanked staff
  and felt confident to use the hospital again

9
Right 5 Information

• Right to be informed
• Phyllis
• a frail aged woman, needed a mobility aid to
  maintain her independence
• she applied to a community support agency and was
  on the waiting list for 12 months before the
  service provider told her that they dont provide
  mobility aids
• HCSCC found that Phyllis had not been given the
  right information and recommended that clear
  information and appropriate referral be provided
  to people when they contact the service
• Phyllis was referred and received assistance from
  another agency

10
Right 6 Participation

• Right to actively participate
• Belinda
• an adult woman with a disability was receiving
  support in residential care
• she complained that she was not involved in
  decisions about her care like what meals she ate,
  choice of workers and the times when services
  were provided
• Belinda had the support of a guardian to assist
  and advocate on her behalf
• HCSCC found the service was not supporting
  Belindas right to participation
• Belinda and the service provider developed a
  communication plan so that she could participate
  in decisions about her care

11
Right 6 Participation

• Right to actively participate
• Mike
• attended a private hospital for knee surgery
• the final bill was much more than Mike thought it
  would be and he complained to HCSCC
• HCSCC found that the service provider had
• discussed the surgery and costs with Mike
• provided Mike with a written quote and explained
  that some costs may vary
• HCSCC found that although Mike disagreed with the
  final bill, that there had been informed
  financial consent

12
Right 7 Privacy

• Right to privacy and confidentiality
• Michelle
• complained that the hospital compromised her
  privacy by speaking with her psychiatrist and
  making irrelevant notes without her consent
• Michelle was seeing a psychiatrist but she was
  not in hospital for a psychiatric condition
• HCSCC reviewed the hospital notes and found that
  the hospital had contacted the psychiatrist, with
  Michelles permission, to get information about
  how best to treat her
• HCSCC found that all the notes were relevant to
  Michelles medical treatment

13
Right 7 Privacy

• Right to privacy and confidentiality
• Annie
• is an Aboriginal woman with a terminal illness
  who regularly attends a regional hospital
• she was concerned that her personal information
  had been shared in the community by a hospital
  employee
• Annie complained to the hospital and got no
  response
• community members confirmed information about
  Annie had been shared
• HCSCC found that Annies privacy had been
  breached and recommended changes to the security
  of medical records and that staff receive
  training about privacy and confidentiality

14
Right 8 Comment

• Right to comment and / or complain
• Veronica
• is 14 years old who has diabetes
• she was given an incorrect dose of insulin with
  serious results
• Veronica complained to the service provider but
  they did not respond
• HCSCC investigated and found the service provider
  needed to improve services to young people with
  diabetes and their complaints process
• the hospital improved procedures, trained staff
  and developed a care plan for Veronica

15
Right 8 Comment

• Right to comment and / or complain
• Cooper
• attended his local GP with symptoms of anaemia
• the GP told Cooper to rest and didnt do any
  tests for anaemia
• Cooper ended up in hospital needing many blood
  transfusions
• Cooper returned to his GP to complain and was
  told That was then and this is now
• after investigating, HCSCC referred the complaint
  about the doctors care to the Australian Health
  Practitioner Regulation Agency
• HCSCC recommended that the GP clinic set up a
  complaints process and train staff in complaints
  handling

16
Right 8 Comment

• Right to comment and / or complain
• Vikram
• complained about threats made to him by a mental
  health worker
• he complained to the mental health team a few
  times but they didnt take any action
• HCSCC found that the service provider had not
  responded to Vikrams complaints and that other
  service users had similar complaints
• following HCSCCs investigation, the mental
  health worker was removed and the complaint
  procedure was improved