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Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission

The Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission is a current joint statutory committee.

The Committee was first established in June 1994. The Committee was reestablished in the 54th Parliament on 7 August 2007. 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
www.hccc.nsw.gov.au

Inquiries

During the current parliament, the following inquiries have been undertaken by the committee:

ReferredInquiry Name
 Operation of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993 (Commenced)
 Review of the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission (Completed)
06/06/2008 The Investigations by the Health Care Complaints Commission into the Complaints Made Against Mr Graeme Reeves (Completed)
06/03/2008 Review of the 2006-2007 Annual Report of the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (Completed)
22/11/2006 Review of the 2005-2006 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission (Completed)

Records of 15 earlier inquiries conducted by the committee are also available online.

Submissions Invited

The committee is not actively receiving submissions at present. Past submissions may be available under the relevant inquiry.

Reports and Government Responses

During the current parliament, the committee has or plans to table the following reports:
Report DateName of Report
24/09/2009Operation of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993: Discussion Paper
14/05/2009Review of the 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission
26/06/2008Report on the Investigations by the Health Care Complaints Commission Into the Complaints Made Against Mr Graeme Reeves
24/06/2008Review of the 2006-2007 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission
20/02/2008Review of the 2005-2006 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission
(there are also 26 reports from past Parliaments).

Members

Contact

Role Name Phone Fax Email
Main Contact Mr Mel Keenan (02) 9230 3060 (02) 9230 3309 chccc@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Committee Manager Mr Mel Keenan (02) 9230 3060 chccc@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Senior Committee Officer Ms Jo Alley (02) 9230 2363
Research Officer Mrs Cheryl Samuels (02) 9230 2096
Committee Officer Ms Jacqui Isles (02) 9230 3011
Assistant Committee Officer Mr John Miller (02) 9230 2354

Postal Address

Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission
Parliament House
Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Terms of Reference Establishing Committee

Resolution passed 21 June 2007, 1st Session, V&P 14, Item 13, p 166 . Legislative Council 27 June 2007, V&P 17, Item 1 (2) p.193

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 Hickey, Mrs Hopwood, Dr McDonald and Mr Morris.
      (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.
    Mr SPEAKER
    The Legislative Council desires to inform the Legislative Assembly that it has this day agreed to the following resolution:

    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 Westwood, Mr Clarke and Revd Mr Nile be appointed to serve on the committee as members of the Legislative Council.

    Legislative Council Peter Primrose
    27 June 2007 (am) President