Section 5 of 5Problems and complaints
If a cosmetic procedure goes wrong
Call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital. Once you are safe, Ahpra’s Cosmetic Surgery Hotline, 1300 361 041, is where patients can tell Ahpra about a bad experience, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST.
General information, not medical advice. Call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital. To check that a practitioner is registered, search Ahpra’s register of practitioners.
5.1 Emergencies
Emergency care
Triple Zero (000) is Australia’s main emergency number for situations that are life threatening or time critical, and it can be called from any fixed or mobile phone, a satellite phone and some internet (VoIP) phone services. If someone is seriously injured, in danger or needs urgent help, the Australian Government’s advice is to call now. Ahpra’s advice for cosmetic surgery points the same way: in an emergency, go straight to the nearest hospital’s emergency department.
5.2 After a procedure
Warning signs
NSW Health’s advice after any cosmetic procedure is short: if there are any complications, seek medical advice.
Liposuction warning signs
healthdirect’s page on liposuction says that after surgery, if you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your surgeon or doctor straight away:
- a temperature above 38°C
- chills
- a wound that bleeds heavily
- worsening redness around the cuts
- pain or tenderness that keeps increasing
- any other change that worries you
The list is on healthdirect’s liposuction page.
Injection aftercare
The person responsible for the procedure is also responsible for aftercare, and the TGA says you should be given written instructions, including what to do about unexpected side effects. Ahpra says to make sure you know a registered health practitioner will give you appropriate aftercare, especially if side effects or complications appear.
5.3 Cosmetic Surgery Hotline
Hotline reports
Ahpra’s Cosmetic Surgery Hotline, 1300 361 041, is staffed by a specialised team, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST. You can raise a concern confidentially, and the practitioner will not be told who complained. Ahpra’s page on non-surgical procedures points to the same hotline when a cosmetic procedure goes wrong.
Non-disclosure agreements
Sometimes a dispute is settled directly with the practitioner and the patient is asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Ahpra’s view is that such an agreement does not stop a patient complaining to Ahpra, though it suggests checking with your lawyer first. The Medical Board’s guidelines require any agreement a doctor uses to make clear that a complaint can still go to Ahpra, or in NSW to the Health Care Complaints Commission or the Medical Council of NSW, or in Queensland to the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
Compensation
Ahpra cannot arrange compensation or financial settlements. Its advice is to speak with the health complaints body in your state or territory.
5.4 Complaints
Complaints bodies by state
Ahpra takes concerns about registered practitioners in the ACT, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia; New South Wales and Queensland have different arrangements. A complaint about a service or a fee, or a dispute with a provider such as a clinic, goes to the healthcare complaints body in your state or territory.
| Where | Body | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| ACT, NT, SA, Tasmania, Victoria, WA | Ahpra, 1300 419 495 | Concerns about registered practitioners or students |
| Victoria | Health Complaints Commissioner, 1300 582 113, 9.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday | Concerns about a health service in Victoria, which you may be able to make a complaint about |
| New South Wales | Health Care Complaints Commission | Complaints about the quality of cosmetic procedures, including the quality of care and the outcome |
| Queensland | Office of the Health Ombudsman | Complaints and notifications about registered and unregistered health practitioners, health services and health care facilities in Queensland |
5.5 Premises
Concerns about a facility
In Victoria, the Department of Health’s Private Hospitals Unit takes reports of suspected illegal activity involving liposuction, cosmetic surgery or anaesthesia, by email to privatehospitals@health.vic.gov.au. In New South Wales, running an unlicensed private health facility is an offence, and the Ministry of Health has powers to enter and inspect premises and to prosecute where the evidence is sufficient. Section 1 sets out where cosmetic surgery may take place.
5.6 Medicines and devices
Reports to the TGA
The TGA calls side effects and problems with medicines and medical devices “adverse events”, and takes reports of them. Problems after a cosmetic injection can be reported directly to the TGA. Section 3 covers how to check the product used.
5.7 Right to say no
Stopping a procedure
If you cannot find the practitioner on the national register, or you have concerns about how they practise, Ahpra’s advice is not to continue with the procedure, and to let Ahpra know. If something does not feel right about the place where you are having surgery, Ahpra says you always have the right to say no.