Health and Disabilities Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) Happenings

The Code of Conduct for certain health care workers will soon be implemented in Western Australia and the Indian Ocean Territories.

The Code of Conduct sets minimum standards of practice for health care workers who are not registered under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS), or who provide services unrelated to their registration, or who are student or volunteer health care workers. 

If a health care worker’s conduct presents a serious risk to public health and safety, HaDSCO can investigate, warn the public and prohibit the health care worker from practising.

Under the Code of Conduct, health care workers:

MUST

• Provide safe and ethical health services.
• Obtain consent for treatment.
• Report concerns about other health care workers.
• Act appropriately and timely when something goes wrong.
• Take care to protect clients from infection.
• Comply with privacy laws.
• Keep appropriate records.
• Be covered by insurance.
• Display the Code of conduct and information about making a complaint (some exclusions may apply).
• Respect clients’ choice to seek or continue medical treatment, and cooperate with other practitioners if they do.

MUST NOT

• Put clients at risk of infectious medical conditions they have.
• Make false claims about curing serious illnesses such as cancer.
• Misinform clients about their products, services, qualifications or training.
• Provide services under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Put clients at risk due to their own mental or physical impairment.
• Financially exploit clients.
• Have an inappropriate relationship with clients.

You can learn more about the Code of Conduct here: Code of Conduct for certain health care workers.