Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
The Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission is a current joint statutory committee, established 13 May 1994, re-established 22 June 2011.
The Committee monitors and reviews the Commission's functions, annual reports and other reports it makes to Parliament. The Committee is not authorised to re-investigate a particular complaint; or to reconsider a decision to investigate, not to investigate or to discontinue investigation of a particular complaint; or to reconsider the findings, recommendations, determinations or other decisions of the Commission, or of any other person, in relation to a particular investigation or complaint.
The terms of reference for the Committee are set out in Part 4 of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, sections 64-74.
Extract from the Health Care Complaints Act 1993:
65 Functions
(1) The functions of the Joint Committee are as follows:
(a) to monitor and to review the exercise by the Commission of the Commission’s functions under this or any other Act,
(a1) without limiting paragraph (a), to monitor and review the exercise of functions by the Health Conciliation Registry,
(b) to report to both Houses of Parliament, with such comments as it thinks fit, on any matter appertaining to the Commission or connected with the exercise of the Commission’s functions to which, in the opinion of the Joint Committee, the attention of Parliament should be directed,
(c) to examine each annual and other report made by the Commission, and presented to Parliament, under this or any other Act and to report to both Houses of Parliament on any matter appearing in, or arising out of, any such report,
(d) to report to both Houses of Parliament any change that the Joint Committee considers desirable to the functions, structures and procedures of the Commission,
(e) to inquire into any question in connection with the Joint Committee’s functions which is referred to it by both Houses of Parliament, and to report to both Houses on that question.
(2) Nothing in this Part authorises the Joint Committee:
(a) to re-investigate a particular complaint, or
(b) to reconsider a decision to investigate, not to investigate or to discontinue investigation of a particular complaint, or
(c) to reconsider the findings, recommendations, determinations or other decisions of the Commission, or of any other person, in relation to a particular investigation or complaint.
(3) The functions of the Joint Committee may be exercised in respect of matters occurring before or after the commencement of this section.
The Commissioner for Health Care Complaints is Mr Kieran Pehm, and the Commission is located at:
Central Square Building
Level 13, 323 Castlereagh Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 9219 7444
Fax: (02) 9281 4585
Inquiries (click to show)
During the current parliament, the following inquiries have been undertaken by the committee:
Records of 21 earlier inquiries conducted by the committee are also available online.
Submissions invited (click to show)
The committee is not actively receiving submissions at present. Past submissions may be available under the relevant inquiry.
Reports and government responses (click to show)
The committee has not published any reports during the current parliament.
Records of earlier reports published by the committee appear below:
Members (click to show)
Contact (click to show)
Postal address (click to show)
Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
Parliament House
Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Terms of Reference establishing Committee (click to show)
Resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly, 22 June 2011, 1st Session, Votes and Proceedings No. 23, Item 12 (6), p.198.
Resolution passed by the Legislative Council, 22 June 2011, Minutes No. 23, Item 30 (3) p.259
Resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly, 22 June 2011
(5) Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
That:
(1) In accordance with section 67 (1) (b) of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, the following members of the Legislative Assembly be appointed to serve on the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission: Mr Ryan Park, Mr Andrew Rohan, Mrs Roza Sage and Mrs Leslie Williams.
(2) The Committee have leave to make visits of inspection within the State of New South Wales and other States and Territories of Australia.
(3) A message be sent acquainting the Legislative Council of the resolution and requesting the Legislative Council to appoint three of its members to serve on the Committee.
Resolution passed by the Legislative Council, 22 June 2011
(3) Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
1. That under section 64 of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, a joint committee known as the
Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission be appointed.
2. That under section 67 (1) (a) of the Act, Ms Catherine Cusack, Ms Helen Westwood and Mr Paul
Green be appointed to serve on the committee as members of the Legislative Council.
Further reading (click to show)