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We take complaints seriously

Complaintsandfeedback

How to raise a concern, what we'll do, and how to escalate if you're not satisfied with our response.

1. How to raise a complaint

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you received from InstantMed, please let us know. We investigate every complaint and use what we learn to improve our service.

The fastest way to lodge a complaint is by email: complaints@instantmed.com.au

You can also call 0495 049 555. Lena will take a short message for our Medical Director.

When you email us, please include:

  • Your full name and the email address you used with InstantMed
  • The date and type of service (medical certificate, prescription, consult)
  • Your request reference number (if you have it)
  • A clear description of what went wrong and what outcome you are seeking

You do not need to use any specific form, and you do not need legal representation. Plain English is fine.

2. What happens next

Each complaint is routed to the appropriate clinical, operations, or privacy owner:

  • Clinical complaints - concerning a clinical decision, a declined request, a prescription, or a medical certificate. Reviewed by the Medical Director.
  • Service complaints - concerning billing, refunds, response times, communication, or the platform experience. Reviewed by our operations team.
  • Privacy complaints - concerning how your health information was handled. See Section 7.

We will ask follow-up questions by email if we need more information. You do not have to justify your complaint; you just need to describe what happened.

3. Response timeframes

We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours. Clinical complaints target resolution within 14 days.

  • Service and privacy complaints: investigated by the responsible owner, with updates if more information or time is needed
  • Complex investigations: if we need longer, we will tell you why and set a revised timeline

The clinical timeframe is a target, not a guarantee of a particular outcome.

4. Clinical governance

Clinical reviews are performed by AHPRA-registered doctors under documented clinical governance. The clinician responsible for a clinical decision is recorded in the patient record, and AHPRA registration can be independently verified on the public register.

Clinical leadership:

  • Holds current AHPRA registration (independently verifiable on the AHPRA public register)
  • Maintains documented clinical protocols, scope boundaries, and escalation rules
  • Reviews clinical complaints and records the outcome
  • Can help identify the responsible treating clinician via complaints@instantmed.com.au

See our clinical governance framework for how protocols are owned, documented, and updated.

For a source-backed plain-English version, see our complaints and governance explainer.

5. Escalation: AHPRA

If you have a concern about a health practitioner's conduct, performance, or health, you can make a complaint directly to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). You do not need to raise it with us first - but we are happy to help you understand what you are escalating.

AHPRA complaints are appropriate when you believe a practitioner has:

  • Provided care below the expected professional standard
  • Acted unprofessionally
  • Practised outside their scope or training
  • An impairment affecting their ability to practise safely

Visit the AHPRA website at ahpra.gov.au/notifications to submit a notification.

6. Escalation: State health complaints commissioners

Every Australian state and territory has an independent health complaints body. You can contact the commissioner in the state where you received care, regardless of our location:

These bodies are independent of InstantMed and can investigate complaints we cannot resolve internally.

7. Privacy complaints

If your complaint is specifically about how we have handled your health information (collection, use, disclosure, or security), email privacy@instantmed.com.au. Privacy complaints are reviewed against the Australian Privacy Principles (APP 1-13) under the Privacy Act 1988.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can escalate to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

8. Record of your complaint

We keep a formal record of each complaint, the investigation, the outcome, and any resulting process change. Complaint records are an input into clinical governance and service improvement.

Making a good-faith complaint does not alter the clinical outcome or restrict service access by itself. We treat complaints as information for investigation and improvement.

Something on your mind?

Tell us what happened and we'll investigate it through the appropriate pathway.

Full refund if the doctor declines.