|
When investigating complaints, the Health Care Complaints Commission may ask an expert to review the relevant evidence. The expert's role is to give an opinion on the conduct of a health practitioner, including whether there has been a significant departure from accepted professional standards. If the expert reviewer believes there has been such a departure, and is also strongly critical about the conduct of the provider complained about, this will be important evidence in assisting the Commission to determine whether or not to prosecute a complaint against a practitioner before a disciplinary body.
The following information will assist expert reviewers of the Commission to prepare an expert report.
When a complaint is prosecuted before a Tribunal or Professional Standards Committee, the expert reviewer may be called as a witness at the hearing. Some advice on what is expected of an expert witness is given in the following guidelines.
|
|