Vets in the ACT

Grounds for complaint

Any person can complain about a vet if there are concerns they may have:

• engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct
• engaged in professional misconduct
• breached the Veterinary Practice Act 2018
• breached conditions of their registration or an undertaking given by the vet to the Board
• an impairment that means they are not fit to practise a restricted act of veterinary science
• obtained improper registration by suppling false or misleading information
• failed to maintain the premises to the veterinary premises standard.

How to lodge a complaint

Complete the VP07 - Formal Complaint about a veterinary practitioner form (PDF 155.2 KB) and send it to one of the following:

ACT Veterinary Practitioners Board

• Email: TCCS.vetboard@act.gov.au (10MB file size limit)
• Post: ACT Registrar, ACT Veterinary Practitioners Board, GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601.

ACT Human Rights Commission

• Email: human.rights@act.gov.au
• Post: Health Services Commissioner, ACT Human Rights Commission, GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601.

Assessment process

When the complaint has been received, the Veterinary Practitioners Board will inform the vet in writing that a complaint has been made. They have 14 days to respond with any relevant patient records and details of treatment provided. The vet's response is then shared with the complainant and the complainant has 14 days to respond.

The complaint and all associated materials will be considered by the Board at their next scheduled meeting. The Board will then decide whether the vet has a case to answer. This requires a detailed investigation of the complaint by the Board and, where needed, the ACT Human Rights Commission.

The ACT Human Rights Commission will advise the Board if they agree with the proposed outcome. If the Board and the ACT Human Rights Commission cannot agree on the proposed action, the most serious action prevails.

The Board will write a letter containing their deliberation statement to the complainant and the practitioner/s involved advising them of the outcome and any action taken, the reasons for the decision, as well as any options for review or appeal.

For more information please see the complaints outcome policy (PDF 253.9 KB).

Complaints process timeline

Complaint received (days 1–2)

• We check for any conflicts of interest among Board members.
  • This means making sure that no one involved in reviewing the complaint has a personal or professional connection to the people involved. For example, if a Board member knows the veterinarian or the person making the complaint, they may step aside from the process. This helps ensure that the complaint is handled fairly and without bias.
• We send the complaint to the ACT Human Rights Commission (the Commission) for their initial advice, for procedural fairness purposes.

Initial advice from the Commission (days 3–4)

• The Commission usually advises that the Board should handle the complaint.
• The complaint is reviewed by the Board President and Vice President.

Preparing the notification letter (days 5–6)

• We draft a letter (called a Section 50 letter) to notify the veterinarian about the complaint.
• We may also request relevant clinical records for the patient.
• These documents are reviewed and approved by the Registrar.

Sending the notification (day 7)

• The Section 50 letter and any requests for records are sent to the veterinarian(s).
• They have 14 days to respond.

• If more time is needed, the veterinarian can request an extension from the Board. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and are often granted when reasonable.

Response from the Veterinarian (around day 21)

• Once we receive the response, we send it to the person who made the complaint for their review.
• They have 14 days to provide any further comments.

• If more time is needed, the complainant can request an extension from the Board. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and are often granted when reasonable.

Board review (up to 4 weeks)

• The Board reviews the case at its next scheduled meeting.
• Depending on the meeting schedule, this may take up to 4 weeks. Scheduled meeting dates can be found on the Board’s webpage.

Writing the Board’s decision (up to 3 weeks)

• After the meeting, a Board member writes up the Board’s deliberation.
• All members review and approve it.
• We may also seek legal advice if needed.

Final review by the Commission (up to 2 weeks)

• The full decision is sent to the Commission for final review and approval.

Closing the case (around day 90+)

• Once approved, we send the final decision to both the complainant and the veterinarian.
• The case is then officially closed.

Note: This timeline is based on a typical case. Some cases may take longer if more information or expert advice is needed.

In 2024–2025, the average time to close a complaint was 2.5 months. The Board aims to handle complaints as quickly and fairly as possible.