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A Canberra man diagnosed with cancer was referred to palliative care despite later undergoing successful treatment in another state. His complaint was among 387 health services related complaints received by the ACT Human Rights Commission in 2016/17, the majority of the 507 complaints received in total. According to the commission, the man complained he was assessed as unsuitable for treatment after a cancer diagnosis and referred to palliative care services. But the man sought a second opinion interstate and has since undergone successful treatment. He complained to the commission about his assessment and clinical decision in the ACT and sought its assistance to be compensated for costs associated with interstate treatment. The Commission successfully sought payment for his interstate travel costs. "Its investigation of the man's management found that the decision to decline active treatment resulted from a communication breakdown in his treating team," the health commissioner said. According to commission's annual report, the health services commissioner responded to 480 enquiries. The 387 health service complaints included notifications from the Australian health practitioner regulation agency and and ACT Veterinary Surgeons Board notifications. People can make complaints about any health service provider in the ACT and may raise issues about registered practitioners such as doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, chiropractors and psychologists. The number of complaints received by the health commissioner has increased slightly since 2015/16 when it received 365, and from 2014/15 when it received 336. The health commissioner jointly considered 194 new matters notified from AHPRA, compared to 159 in the previous year Most of the complaints related to treatment issues while communication issues also ranked highly. Among other complaints was vulnerable patients being exposed to possible inappropriate nursing practices. A woman complained her husband was discharged from cancer treatment at a hospital without sufficient support or coordination of ongoing care. She claimed the hospital's management of her husband's treatment resulted in a poorer quality fo life in the time he had left with his family. "The complaint was resolved through Commission conciliation with the health provider agreeing to change its discharge planning practice, communication with patients and their families and outpatient appointments management," the commissioner's report said. "The health provider acknowledged and apologised to the complainant for their experience and provided financial compensation for costs relating to the complaint." Do you know more? Get in touch confidentially daniella.white@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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