Pharmacy Daily | Experience shapes complaints process

HEALTH practitioners who have experienced the emotional impact of complaints raised against them are helping the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) reshape how complaints are handled.

Ahpra and the National Boards have enlisted professionals with lived experience of the notifications process to be part of its expert advisory group (EAG) as they look to gain a deeper understanding of the impact that being the subject of a complaint or concern has on a practitioner's wellbeing.

"We want to minimise the distress that someone feels when they're going through the notification process, because we know that safe practice starts with practitioner wellbeing," Ahpra Chief Executive Officer Justin Untersteiner said.

The EAG's landmark report in 2023 outlined four broad areas for improvement: managing practitioner health concerns, improving openness and transparency, providing better support, and learning from practitioner experience.

All recommendations were accepted by Ahpra and the National Boards, with a progress report released last week outlining the actions to date.

The report notes that 13 of the 33 actions arising from the EAG work have already been carried out, with one of the main areas of improvement focused on how Ahpra manages notifications about a practitioner's health.

These reforms have ranged from changes to the recruitment of regulatory advisors to improve negotiation and conflict resolution skills to addressing myths and misinformation about notifications.

Amanda Haimes, a practitioner with lived experience, said being a member of the EAG has been one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.

"Our work is about change; change that means future practitioners won't have to carry the same fear, shame or pain that we did," Haimes said.

"If our work with the EAG makes that a reality, then it's all been worth it, and I can't think of a more worthy cause."

The final recommendations and actions will be implemented in 2026 - see the progress report HERE. KB