Complaints and health concerns

NOTE this page is for veterinary practitioners. If you are a member of the public, go to: www.vetboard.vic.gov.au > Public > Concerns about veterinary practitioners

The Board's jurisdiction to consider complaints and health concerns

Under Part 3 of the Veterinary Practice Act 1997, the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria can investigate concerns about the professional conduct or health of registered veterinary practitioners.

The Board is not able to consider some types of concerns such as about the fees set by a veterinary business, and can only take limited action on concerns submitted anonymously or not in writing.

How you can respond to concerns

For information about how the Board approaches concerns about the professional conduct or health of veterinary practitioners, and how you can respond to any concerns raised with you:

• watch our videos for vets on complaints and health concerns (and read the summary factsheets under the videos), in particular:
• What happens when a complaint about professional conduct is made?
• What can you do now? Approaching a Professional Conduct Investigation constructively
• What happens if your practice is impaired by a health issue?
• read the Board's factsheet, Complaints about veterinary practitioners.

If the Board receives a notification of concerns about you, the Board will first assess the concerns and may contact you for information. If the Board decides to investigate the matter, we will send you a copy of the concerns that have been submitted and ask you to respond. If you respond promptly and fully, this may significantly reduce the time it takes to investigate the matter.

If you have any questions about contact from the Board, please email us or leave a message for us on 03 9620 7444.

Your privacy

The Board will only use and disclose personal information about you for the purpose of assessing and investigating concerns submitted about your professional conduct or health, unless consent has been obtained to use the information for additional purposes. More information: Privacy and Data Protection Policy

Obtaining support if you have been contacted by the Board

The Board recognises that veterinary practitioners may experience stress when notified of concerns about their professional conduct or health. We are committed to managing concerns sensitively and in accordance with our legal obligations, following the Veterinary Practice Act 1997 and observing confidentiality, privacy and principles of natural justice.

When investigating a concern, the Board assesses the matter on its individual merits. The outcome of an investigation will not be known until the investigation is completed. While the process can take time, it should not be assumed that an investigation will result in any adverse finding against a veterinary practitioner.

We encourage you to watch the following videos about how you can respond to a concern raised with you. Please contact us if you have any questions about the process:

• What happens when a complaint about professional conduct is made?
• What can you do now? Approaching a Professional Conduct Investigation constructively
• What happens if your practice is impaired by a health issue?

You can also email us or leave a message on 9620 7444.

If you need additional support, we encourage you to talk to your friends, family or colleagues about how you are feeling, and access support through the services listed on our page, Support for veterinary practitioners.