Complaints & Feedback | Lionheart Clinic

1. Introduction

Lionheart Clinic is committed to providing high-quality mental health services and maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. We welcome feedback and take all complaints seriously.

This policy outlines how you can make a complaint, what you can expect from our complaints process, and how to escalate concerns to external regulators if you are not satisfied with our response.

Your Right to Complain

You have the right to raise concerns about any aspect of our service without fear of negative consequences. Making a complaint will not affect the quality of care you receive or your relationship with Lionheart Clinic or your treating clinician.

2. What is a Complaint?

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction with our services, including but not limited to:

Clinical Care Complaints

Quality of clinical care provided by your clinician
Professional conduct or behavior of clinicians
Misdiagnosis or treatment concerns
Medication errors or adverse events
Breach of patient confidentiality
Lack of informed consent

Administrative Complaints

Booking or appointment scheduling issues
Billing or payment disputes
Deposit refund processing delays
Communication problems (unanswered emails, missed calls)
Long wait times for appointments or reviews
Difficulties accessing our platform or patient portal

Privacy and Data Complaints

Unauthorized disclosure of personal information
Incorrect or incomplete medical records
Inability to access or correct your personal information
Data security concerns

Discrimination or Harassment

Discrimination based on age, gender, race, disability, or other protected characteristics
Harassment or unprofessional behavior by staff or clinicians
Disrespectful treatment

Access and Service Delivery

Unreasonable booking rejection without adequate explanation
Accessibility barriers for people with disabilities
Language or communication barriers not accommodated

3. How to Make a Complaint

Step 1: Choose Your Preferred Method

Written Complaint (Recommended)

Email: complaints@lionheartclinic.com.au

Post: Complaints Officer, Lionheart Clinic Pty Ltd, 112 May Street, St Peters, NSW 2044, Australia

Written complaints allow us to fully understand your concerns and provide a comprehensive response.

Phone Complaint

Phone: (02) 8552 7393

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM AEDT/AEST

If you call, we will document your complaint in writing and send you a copy for your records.

In-Person Complaint

You may make a complaint in person during your appointment or by visiting our office. We will document your complaint in writing.

Step 2: What to Include in Your Complaint

To help us investigate and resolve your complaint quickly, please provide:

Your name and contact details (unless you wish to remain anonymous)
Booking reference number (if applicable)
Date and time of the incident or issue
Names of staff or clinicians involved (if known)
Detailed description of what happened
How the issue affected you (e.g., distress, financial loss, delayed care)
What outcome you are seeking (e.g., apology, refund, policy change)
Supporting documents (emails, receipts, medical records, etc.)

Anonymous Complaints

You may make an anonymous complaint, but this may limit our ability to:

Investigate thoroughly (we cannot ask follow-up questions)
Provide you with a response or resolution
Update you on actions taken

We encourage you to provide contact details, which will be kept confidential.

4. Our Internal Complaints Process

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Acknowledgment (Within 5 Business Days)

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing (email or letter) and provide:

Complaint reference number
Name of the Complaints Officer handling your case
Expected timeline for resolution

Step 2: Investigation (Within 15 Business Days)

The Complaints Officer will:

Review all relevant documents, records, and evidence
Interview relevant staff and clinicians
Contact you for additional information if needed
Consult with our Clinical Director for clinical matters
Ensure confidentiality and impartiality throughout

Step 3: Resolution and Response (Within 30 Business Days)

We will provide a written response that includes:

Summary of your complaint and our investigation findings
Explanation of what happened and why
Acknowledgment if we made an error or fell short of standards
Apology (if appropriate)
Actions we will take to resolve the issue (e.g., refund, policy change, staff training)
Information about external escalation options if you remain dissatisfied

Step 4: Follow-Up (If Required)

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may:

Request further review by our Clinical Director or Super Admin
Escalate to external regulators (see Section 6)

Complex Complaints

For complex complaints (e.g., serious clinical incidents, allegations of professional misconduct), we may:

Extend the investigation timeline (we will notify you)
Engage an independent external reviewer
Report to AHPRA or other regulators (if required by law)

5. Response Timelines

Stage	Timeline
Acknowledgment	5 business days
Investigation	15 business days
Full response	30 business days
Complex complaints	60 business days (with updates every 2 weeks)

If We Need More Time

If we cannot meet these timelines, we will contact you to explain the delay and provide a revised expected completion date.

6. External Escalation Options

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to external regulators:

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

For complaints about: Clinical care, professional conduct, competence of registered health practitioners (psychiatrists, psychologists)

Website: www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Make-a-complaint.aspx

Phone: 1300 419 495

Online Form: Available at AHPRA website (notifiable conduct, professional misconduct)

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

For complaints about: Privacy breaches, unauthorized disclosure of personal information, data security

Website: www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints

Phone: 1300 363 992

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC)

For complaints about: Health service providers in NSW, quality of care, patient safety

Website: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au

Phone: 1800 043 159 (toll-free in NSW)

Email: hccc@hccc.nsw.gov.au

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)

For complaints about: Billing disputes, misleading or deceptive conduct, unfair contract terms

Website: www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/make-a-complaint

Phone: 1300 302 502

We Encourage Internal Resolution First

While you have the right to escalate immediately, we encourage you to give us the opportunity to resolve your complaint internally first. This is often faster and allows us to address the issue directly.

7. Confidentiality and Privacy

How We Handle Your Complaint Information

Confidential treatment: Your complaint and personal information are treated confidentially
Need-to-know basis: Only staff directly involved in resolving the complaint will have access
Secure storage: Complaint records are stored securely with the same protections as medical records
Retention: Complaint records are retained for 7 years (AHPRA compliance)

When We May Disclose Your Complaint

We may disclose your complaint information without your consent when:

Required by law (e.g., court order, AHPRA investigation)
Mandatory reporting obligations apply (e.g., notifiable conduct by a practitioner)
Necessary to investigate the complaint (e.g., interviewing the clinician involved)
Necessary to protect public safety or prevent serious harm

8. No Retaliation Policy

Zero Tolerance for Retaliation

Lionheart Clinic has a zero-tolerance policy for retaliation against anyone who makes a complaint in good faith. Making a complaint will not:

Affect the quality of care you receive
Result in your booking being rejected or cancelled
Impact your relationship with your treating clinician
Lead to any form of discrimination or negative treatment

If you experience retaliation after making a complaint, please report this immediately to:

Email: complaints@lionheartclinic.com.au
External escalation: AHPRA or NSW HCCC (see Section 6)

9. Feedback (Non-Complaints)

Not all feedback is a complaint. We also welcome:

Positive Feedback

Compliments about staff or clinicians
Recognition of excellent service
Success stories or testimonials

Suggestions for Improvement

Ideas for new services or features
Platform usability improvements
Process or policy suggestions

Send feedback to: feedback@lionheartclinic.com.au

While we may not respond individually to all feedback, we review all suggestions as part of our continuous improvement process.

10. Contact Information

Complaints Officer

Name: Kenneth Cheung