Office of the Health Ombudsman
OrganisationReferenced in 6 bills
Health Transparency Bill 2019
This bill requires Queensland hospitals and aged care facilities to publicly report quality and staffing information so consumers can make informed choices. It also sets minimum staffing ratios for public aged care facilities and streamlines health complaint handling between the Health Ombudsman and national regulators.
Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018
This bill decriminalises termination of pregnancy in Queensland, removing it from the Criminal Code and treating it as a health matter. It allows women to access terminations through registered medical practitioners up to 22 weeks gestation, with additional safeguards for later terminations, and creates protected zones around clinics.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Surgeons) Amendment Bill 2023
This bill protects the title 'surgeon' so only medical practitioners with significant surgical training can use it. It responds to widespread consumer confusion in the cosmetic surgery industry, where any doctor could previously call themselves a 'cosmetic surgeon' regardless of their qualifications, putting patients at risk.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
This bill reforms how cancelled or disqualified health practitioners can regain their registration, increases transparency about practitioners found guilty of sexual misconduct, and strengthens protections for people who report concerns. It amends the national framework regulating Australia's 16 registered health professions.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill
This bill would have strengthened patient safety by making it harder for health practitioners with serious misconduct to regain their registration, permanently publishing sexual misconduct findings on public registers, and protecting people who report concerns about practitioners. It lapsed when the 57th Parliament ended and did not become law.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
This bill strengthens the national framework for regulating Australia's 800,000+ registered health practitioners. It gives regulators new powers to protect the public from dangerous practitioners, improves information sharing about risky practitioners, and requires the health system to provide culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.