When someone makes a complaint to Ahpra about you, Ahpra calls it a notification, and it follows the same path as any other concern about a health practitioner. Ahpra receives it, decides within about a week whether it is the right body to deal with it, speaks to the person who complained, contacts you, gathers information, and puts a risk assessment to your National Board. The Board then closes the matter, takes action such as a caution, an undertaking or conditions, or sends it for investigation or a health or performance assessment. A complaint can be made anonymously or confidentially, but Ahpra says "by law we need to tell a health practitioner when a notification is made about them", and it must give you enough information about the concern to respond. Ahpra's own figures put regulatory action at 10 to 15% of cases, and say about 40% of notifications are closed within one month. In New South Wales and Queensland the complaint goes to a different body first.
This guide takes each step in turn: what counts as a complaint, who can make one, whether it can be anonymous, what Ahpra does in the first weeks, what the Board can decide, how long it takes, and what to do in your first week. If you want help with the response itself, Dealing with a Complaint or Investigation Professionally (A$200 (A$140 with Bulk Buy 10), 2 CPD hours) covers what the Board looks for in a response and how to show insight. For the first steps after the letter arrives, read how to respond to an Ahpra notification.
An Ahpra complaint and an Ahpra notification: the same thing
Ahpra uses the word "notification" for every concern raised about a health practitioner or student. Patients and families say "complaint", and Ahpra uses both words on its own pages: its FAQ says "Anyone can make a complaint or raise a concern to Ahpra about a health practitioner", and calls the person who raised it "the complainant (notifier)". So if you have been told that someone has complained about you to Ahpra, you have a notification, and everything Ahpra publishes about notifications applies to you.
There are two kinds of notification, and the difference matters to you:
| Kind | Who makes it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary notification | Any person or organisation: Ahpra lists the patient, their relative, carer or anyone acting for the patient with their consent, other health practitioners or employers, and representatives of statutory bodies. | This is what people mean by "a complaint". It can be anonymous or confidential. Ahpra says "most of the notifications made to Ahpra are voluntary". |
| Mandatory notification | People with a legal obligation to report in certain circumstances, such as employers and other health practitioners. | A legal duty to report, with set thresholds. Ahpra says mandatory notifications cannot be made anonymously. See our guide to being reported to Ahpra by an employer or colleague. |
Practitioners also say "investigation" from the first letter. In Ahpra's process the investigation is a later, formal stage that follows assessment only when the Board decides the matter needs a closer look. If your letter says the matter is at assessment, it has not been referred for investigation. Our guide to the Ahpra investigation process sets out that later stage.
What a complaint to Ahpra can be about
Ahpra can only accept a notification that meets one of the grounds in sections 141 to 144 of the National Law. Its outcomes page lists them in plain words. A notification can be about a registered practitioner or student who:
- behaved in a way that was below the professional standard the public or the practitioner's peers might expect;
- does not have the level of professional knowledge, skill or judgement that would be expected, or does not exercise enough care in their practice;
- is not a suitable person to hold registration;
- is or may be ill or have an impairment, and poses a risk to the public;
- has or may have breached the National Law, a condition on their registration or an undertaking; or
- obtained their registration improperly.
Ahpra groups these as health, performance and conduct. Its page on raising a concern gives examples. Unsafe care: mistakes in procedures or diagnosis, mismanaging a patient's personal information, medication errors, infection control and culturally unsafe practice. Unprofessional behaviour: a sexual relationship with a patient or a relative of a patient, inappropriate examinations, violence, racism, sexist behaviour, fraud or dishonesty. A boundaries concern can involve a patient or a colleague.
Ahpra also lists what it cannot consider. Complaints about fees and charges, access to or correction of health records, and dissatisfaction with the level of service go to the state or territory health complaints organisation. So do complaints about a clinic or hospital, because Ahpra regulates individual practitioners, not organisations. And Ahpra says it "cannot help resolve the issue, nor arrange for compensation or the return of patient records". A person who wants an apology, compensation, an explanation or a review of care is pointed elsewhere. That tells you something useful: if the complaint has reached Ahpra and has not been closed at the first review, Ahpra has decided it raises a question about your health, performance or conduct.
Who can make a complaint about you
Anyone. Ahpra's FAQ says "any individual or organisation can make a notification". The patient can make it, or someone can make it for them; Ahpra needs the patient's written consent before another person can act for them in the process. A person can also raise a concern about care given to a patient without the patient knowing, and in that case Ahpra will not discuss the details with the patient, though it may contact them for information or for consent to obtain their health records.
There is no time limit. Ahpra says: "There is no statutory timeframe to raise a concern." It adds that a concern raised many years after the event can be hard to look into, because memories fade and records are lost, and the Board can close a matter that "arose out of an event that happened in the past and investigating won't be practicable".
The person who complains is protected. The National Law protects a person who raises a concern "in good faith" from civil, criminal and administrative liability, and since 1 December 2025 it has been an offence to threaten, intimidate or take reprisals against a person because they made a notification or gave Ahpra information. Our guide to the Ahpra notifier protections from December 2025 explains what that means for you. The practical rule: do not contact the person who complained about the complaint.
Can a complaint to Ahpra be anonymous?
Yes. Ahpra's page "Can I be anonymous?" says notifications "can be made anonymously, meaning we don't record your name as the notifier", and that Ahpra "may assign a pseudonym (a false name)". It asks people who want to be anonymous to explain why when they first make contact. Mandatory notifications cannot be anonymous.
A complaint can also be confidential. That means Ahpra records who the notifier is but does not share their personal information with others, including you. Ahpra adds two limits. It says "it's sometimes possible to assume or guess the notifier's identity based on the nature of the notification", and it may be compelled to share information about a confidential notification, for example in legal proceedings or after a freedom of information request.
What you will be told, whichever kind it is:
- That a notification has been made. Ahpra says "by law we need to tell a health practitioner when a notification is made about them".
- Enough about the concern to respond. "As they have the right to respond, this means we must give the practitioner enough information about the concerns for them to [do] so."
- The patient's name. "We cannot avoid sharing the patient's name with the practitioner."
- The notifier's name, only if needed. Ahpra will "only tell the practitioner the notifier's name if it's necessary for them to respond".
An anonymous complaint is harder for Ahpra to look into. It says it may be "difficult (and sometimes impossible)" to assess a concern without the notifier's name and contact details, because it cannot ask them for more information. That does not mean you can ignore it. Answer an anonymous complaint as fully as any other.
What happens in the first weeks
Ahpra's "What to expect" page sets out the order of events. The table follows it.
| When | What Ahpra does |
|---|---|
| Within one week | Receives the notification and decides whether it is the right body to consider it. Some concerns are referred to another organisation. Ahpra asks: will this happen again, was any harm caused, and what could the practitioner do to improve? |
| In the following weeks | Contacts the notifier to discuss the concern, collects other information that is needed, and contacts you about the details "once we know how it will be managed". It considers "any steps taken by you or your workplace to strengthen your practice". |
| The decision | "Someone from your profession will be involved in the decision-making process." Ahpra calls you and the notifier to explain the decision. |
| Longer matters | "In longer notifications, we update you at least every three months." |
You will hear by phone first. Ahpra's FAQ says "An Ahpra officer will contact you by phone and then follow up in writing". You will be given a case officer, and Ahpra encourages you to contact them at any time with questions. In a small number of cases Ahpra does not tell the practitioner straight away, if doing so might prejudice an investigation, put a person's safety at risk, or put a person at risk of intimidation.
Sometimes the first you hear of a complaint is that it has already been closed. Ahpra says this "happens when there was not enough information available to take the notification any further".
Every concern is assessed for risk to the public by a delegate of the National Board for your profession. The Board makes the decisions; Ahpra gathers the information and carries out the Board's directions.
Assessment: what the Board is weighing up
Assessment is the stage that decides what happens next. Ahpra says: "In most cases, we try to finish the assessment process within 60 days." During it, Ahpra contacts the notifier, and you are asked to give information that helps the risk assessment. Ahpra prefers to speak to you directly.
Ahpra's assessment page lists what it looks at:
- the events or circumstances described in the notification;
- your practice setting, including whether you work in isolation or with vulnerable patient groups;
- the nature of your practice, and which standards or guidelines cover it;
- the information Ahpra holds about you, including your regulatory history;
- your responses, reflections and actions; and
- the support and risk mitigation offered or taken by your workplace.
Two of those six are in your hands: your response, and what you and your workplace have done. Ahpra's page puts the question directly: whether the "reflections and actions of a practitioner in response to an event notified about are appropriate, responsible and professional". Its FAQ for practitioners lists what it wants to see, including that you "accept accountability", reflect on and update your knowledge and skills, and "articulate how they will respond effectively in similar circumstances in the future". That is the language of insight and remediation, and our guide to what Ahpra means by insight and remediation explains each part.
Ahpra says it will "usually investigate" where the risk to the public is too great: a single, serious concern that has not been dealt with, a single serious concern that cannot be managed without regulatory action, or a series of concerns that might show a pattern.
What the Board can decide after a complaint
At the end of assessment the Board has four options, in Ahpra's words: close the matter; "take a regulatory action under the National Law such as issue a caution, enter into an undertaking, or impose conditions"; refer the matter for investigation; or refer you for a health or performance assessment. If at any stage the Board decides you pose a serious risk, it can take immediate action, which can include suspension, and you are given the chance to respond before it does.
| Outcome | What it means | On the public register? |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | No ongoing risk the Board needs to manage, the notification lacks substance or is vexatious, or what you and your workplace have done means there is no future risk. The details stay on record. | No |
| Referral to another body | The Board is not the right body for all or part of the complaint, and refers it to a health complaints entity, an employer, the police, the coroner or Medicare. | No |
| Caution | "Like a written warning", meant to deter you from repeating the conduct. | Ahpra: "not usually recorded on the public register but may be" if the Board considers it appropriate |
| Undertaking | You agree to do, or not to do, something in your practice. It is given voluntarily; the Board cannot require one. Once accepted it is a legal obligation. | Yes, while it is in place |
| Conditions | The Board restricts your practice in some way, with or without your agreement, to protect the public. | Yes, while they are in place |
| Investigation, or a health or performance assessment | The matter needs a closer look: a formal investigation, or an assessment of your health or of your performance. | Not at this stage |
Ahpra stresses that a Board "cannot take any action solely to punish or penalise a practitioner", and uses "the minimum force required to manage any risk to the public". Ahpra's own figures: regulatory action is taken in 10 to 15% of cases, and "in less than 2% of cases registration is cancelled for a period". Around 3% of notifications, the most serious, where there may be professional misconduct, go to a panel or tribunal after an investigation. Each outcome is covered in more detail in our guide to Ahpra investigation outcomes and what each means, and conditions in conditions on Ahpra registration.
You can appeal: Ahpra says "most decisions by a National Board are appellable". The person who complained cannot: Ahpra says that under the current National Law the notifier "is unable to request a review of or appeal against any decision made by a National Board", though they can complain about Ahpra's handling to Ahpra or to the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman.
How long an Ahpra complaint takes
Ahpra's published figures are these: about 40% of notifications closed within one month; "most notifications are closed within 90 days"; "most notifications are closed within nine months of receipt"; and matters that go to a panel or tribunal "can take up to a few years to be finalised". Ahpra also says that around half of the cases where no risk was found, or where a low risk had already been managed, are closed within three months. Our guide How long does an Ahpra investigation take? takes each stage and what makes a matter longer.
What if the complaint is false or malicious?
Ahpra has a process for vexatious notifications, which it defines as "one without substance, made with an intent to cause distress, detriment or harassment". A Board can close a notification it considers vexatious. Ahpra's figures put vexatious notifications at "approximately 1%" of the notifications closed without regulatory action, and say the largest group closed without action are those that are misconceived or lacking in substance, without any intent to harm. Ahpra also says about 4 in 10 vexatious notifications were made by another health practitioner.
If you believe a complaint is false, say so in your response, calmly and with evidence: records, rosters, messages, witnesses. Do not attack the person who made it, and do not contact them. Ahpra assesses the facts, and a measured response that deals with each point is easier for the Board to rely on than one that argues motive.
Complaints in New South Wales and Queensland
Ahpra's page on NSW and Queensland says different arrangements apply. In NSW, a concern about a practitioner's health, conduct or performance goes to the NSW Health Professional Councils Authority or the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, though mandatory notifications about a practitioner in NSW are still made to Ahpra. In Queensland, Ahpra says "all complaints about health practitioners or students are made to the Office of the Health Ombudsman". Our guides cover each: an HCCC complaint about you in NSW and an Office of the Health Ombudsman complaint in Queensland. For Victoria, see our guide to a Health Complaints Commissioner complaint about you.
What to do in your first week
- Call your indemnity insurer or professional association before you reply. Ahpra itself suggests "engaging the supports you need early", including indemnifiers, professional associations and colleges.
- Write down what you remember, today, with dates. Keep it for yourself and your adviser. Do not alter any clinical record; if a record needs a later note, make it a dated addendum.
- Read the letter for the stage and the deadline. Note whether it is at assessment or investigation, what Ahpra is asking for, and by when. Ask your case officer if anything is unclear.
- Check whether you must tell your employer. Ahpra says your employment contract may require it, and you must tell your employer if the Board takes action on your registration, such as conditions, an undertaking, a caution or a reprimand.
- Do not contact the person who complained about the complaint, and do not discuss it with colleagues who may be witnesses.
- Start your evidence of change now, not after the decision. Ahpra says it considers "any steps taken by you or your workplace to strengthen your practice". A course on the subject of the concern, with a written reflection, is dated evidence you can put in your response.
- Draft your response with insight. Address each concern. Say what happened, what you have learnt, what you have changed and how you will act in the same situation in future. Our guide How to write a reflection for Ahpra sets out the structure.
If Ahpra or the Board has told you to look at remediation courses, read Told by the Board to seek remediation courses? for how to choose one that matches the concern. Our courses are remediation courses first, built on the codes, guidelines and standards of the National Boards, and you can also record the hours as CPD.
Courses by profession
Each National Board page on this site lists the ethics, professionalism and topic courses for that profession, with the Board's own code of conduct in mind: doctors (Medical Board), nurses and midwives (NMBA), dentists (Dental Board), pharmacists (Pharmacy Board), psychologists (Psychology Board), physiotherapists (Physiotherapy Board), optometrists (Optometry Board), osteopaths (Osteopathy Board) and chiropractors (Chiropractic Board). For any other registered profession, start with Ahpra notification courses for all health practitioners.
Sources and further reading
- Ahpra: Has a concern been raised about you? What to expect
- Ahpra: Notifications, frequently asked questions
- Ahpra: Can I be anonymous?
- Ahpra: How to raise a concern about a health practitioner
- Ahpra: Assessing notifications
- Ahpra: Notification outcomes
- Ahpra: Vexatious notifications
- Ahpra: Reporting concerns in New South Wales or Queensland
Frequently asked questions
What happens when someone makes a complaint to Ahpra about me?
Ahpra treats it as a notification. Within about a week it decides whether it is the right body, then speaks to the person who complained, contacts you by phone and in writing, gathers information and puts a risk assessment to your National Board. The Board closes the matter, takes action such as a caution, an undertaking or conditions, or refers it for investigation or a health or performance assessment.
Can complaints to Ahpra be anonymous?
Yes. Ahpra says notifications "can be made anonymously, meaning we don't record your name as the notifier", or confidentially, where Ahpra knows the notifier but does not share their details. Mandatory notifications cannot be anonymous. Whichever kind it is, Ahpra must tell you a notification has been made and give you enough information about the concern to respond.
Will Ahpra tell me who made the complaint?
Not always. Ahpra says it will "only tell the practitioner the notifier's name if it's necessary for them to respond". It cannot avoid sharing the patient's name with you. Do not try to find out who made the complaint, and do not contact them about it: since 1 December 2025 reprisals against a notifier are an offence under the National Law.
What is the difference between an Ahpra complaint and an Ahpra notification?
None in practice. "Notification" is Ahpra's word for any concern raised about a registered practitioner; patients say "complaint", and Ahpra's own pages use both. A notification can be voluntary, made by anyone, or mandatory, made by a practitioner or employer with a legal duty to report.
How long does an Ahpra complaint take?
Ahpra says about 40% of notifications are closed within one month, it tries to finish assessment within 60 days, "most notifications are closed within 90 days" and "most notifications are closed within nine months of receipt". Matters that go to a panel or tribunal can take a few years. In longer matters Ahpra updates you at least every three months.
What are the possible outcomes of an Ahpra complaint?
No further action; referral to another body; a caution; an undertaking you give; conditions on your registration; or referral for investigation, a health or performance assessment, a panel or a tribunal. Ahpra says regulatory action is taken in 10 to 15% of cases, and registration is cancelled for a period in less than 2%.
Can I still work while an Ahpra complaint is open?
Yes, unless the Board restricts your registration. Ahpra says that if the Board intends to stop you working or restrict your registration, you will be told in writing and given a chance to respond before any action is taken. Any restriction is shown on the public register.
What should I do first if a complaint has been made to Ahpra about me?
Call your indemnity insurer or professional association before you reply, write down what you remember with dates, note the stage and deadline in Ahpra's letter, and do not contact the person who complained. Then start building dated evidence of change, such as a course on the subject of the concern with a written reflection, because Ahpra considers the steps you and your workplace have taken.
This article is published by Healthcare Ethics Australia for general information. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from your indemnity insurer, professional association or a lawyer about your own matter.