Before you start
HDC considers complaints about the quality of care provided by health and disability support services.
You can find more information on what you can make a complaint about here.
Resolution with provider
As a first step, we suggest you speak directly to your provider. This is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve your complaint. The Advocacy Service can support you to raise your concerns directly with the provider.
More information can be found on the webpage Raise your concerns directly — Health & Disability Commissioner
Making a complaint
To help our team accurately assess your complaint, we ask that you complete our online complaint form. The form ensures we have the key information we require to progress your complaint as quickly as possible.
While we strongly encourage people to fill out the complaint form, we understand that some people may require support. The Advocacy Service is available to support people to make complaints to HDC, in addition you can call our phone line on 0800 11 22 33.
We continue to accept complaints by post and if you face specific difficulties in filling out the form (for example accessibility), we ask you to contact the Advocacy Service or HDC directly so we can help.
HDC’s role is to assess the quality of care provided to people, including determining whether a person’s rights under the Code have been upheld. HDC cannot:
Make people pay you any money
Have a person fired or stop someone from being a health provider
Change what is written in your medical notes
Provide a second opinion on your diagnosis
Get you an appointment or make someone provide you with care.
Our team treats all complainants with fairness and respect. We acknowledge that you may be feeling distressed or angry, but abuse of HDC staff is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
Before filling out the online form you will need
Your information
Your contact details
Your NHI number or the NHI number of the person whom the complaint is about.
The National Health Index (NHI) number is a unique identifier given to every person who uses health and disability services in New Zealand. You can find your NHI number on:
a prescription or prescription receipt
a prescription medicine bottle label
a hospital letter
an x-ray or test result
by checking your profile on the online patient portal provided by your medical centre
If you have made an ACC treatment injury claim, we will need a copy of your ACC claim number
Provider details
Provider or organisation full name
Provider's contact details
Incident details
Summary of the incident
Date(s) of the incident?
Details of any steps you have taken to resolve the complaint, including a copy of any responses by the provider
Details of any other agencies who may be involved (such as the coroner)
Your desired outcomes from making a complaint
Supporting documents
Original complaint letter to the provider
Provider’s response
Referrals, photos, emails
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we may need evidence of their consent or your legal right to act on their behalf. You can ask them to complete this consent form
Once you have gathered the information you need you can fill out the complaint form by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.
To progress your complaint, our team will likely need to share your complaint with the person and/or organisation you are complaining about. We may also need to review your clinical records. More information can be found on the complaints process here.
Advocacy Service
We understand that some people may need support. The Advocacy Service is available to assist you with your concerns about a provider or service.
It is a free service, and advocates are independent of all health and disability service providers. Advocates can:
Help you understand your rights when using health or disability services
Listen to your concerns
Talk through your options
Help you to write your complaint and make a complaint using the complaint form
Support you to resolve your issue with the provider
You can contact the Nationwide Advocacy Service via:
Email: advocacy@advocacy.org.nz
Freephone: 0800 555 050
Post: PO Box 1307, Christchurch Mail Centre, 8140
What’s next
Once you have submitted our online complaint form you will receive an acknowledgement.
You can find out more about our complaints process on our website here - Complaint process — Health & Disability Commissioner
If you have any concerns or difficulties, please contact us. Our details can be found here.