Patient advocates: what they do and how to find one

What does a patient advocate actually do?

A patient advocate is someone who helps you navigate the health system, understand your options, communicate with your medical team, and make sure your rights and wishes are respected. They work on your behalf, not the hospital's or the insurer's.

Depending on the type of advocate and your situation, they can help you understand your diagnosis and what your doctors are recommending, prepare for appointments, ask questions you might not feel comfortable asking, identify services and support you may not know about, navigate complaints processes if something goes wrong, and coordinate care between multiple providers.

An advocate does not make decisions for you. They help ensure you have the information and support to make decisions for yourself.

What types of patient advocates are available in Australia?

There are several types of people who can play an advocacy role, depending on what you need.

A health care consumer advocate or patient advocate is a trained professional or volunteer who specifically helps patients navigate the system. They may be provided through a hospital, a community health service, or an independent advocacy organisation.

A social worker is not formally called an advocate, but plays a very similar role in practice. They help with practical navigation, access to services, and communication with the medical team. Ask your hospital or specialist rooms whether there is a social worker you can see.

A disease-specific support organisation often provides navigation support tailored to their condition. Many have nurses or care coordinators who can help you understand what you are facing and what services exist. If there is an organisation specific to your diagnosis, contacting them early is worthwhile.

A private patient advocate can be engaged for a fee to work alongside you through a complex medical journey. They typically have backgrounds in nursing, health management, or social work. Private advocacy is a growing field in Australia, particularly for complex or long-term diagnoses.

How can the hospital help with advocacy?

Most Australian public hospitals have a patient liaison officer, patient representative, or consumer liaison service. Their role is to help patients with concerns, complaints, and communication during a hospital stay or treatment episode.

They are hospital staff, which means they are primarily there to help the hospital work better for patients rather than being purely independent. For straightforward navigation and communication issues, they are very helpful. For formal complaints, you may want to involve an independent advocate as well.

To find the patient liaison officer at a hospital, ask at the main reception, the nursing station on your ward, or the specialist outpatient clinic. Most hospitals also list the service on their website.

What can I do if something goes wrong in my care?

If something has gone wrong in your care, or if you feel your concerns are not being taken seriously, you have the right to make a formal complaint. Each Australian state and territory has a health complaints body that investigates complaints about healthcare providers.

In Victoria, the Health Complaints Commissioner handles complaints (hcc.vic.gov.au). In New South Wales, the Health Care Complaints Commission (hccc.nsw.gov.au). In Queensland, the Office of the Health Ombudsman (oho.qld.gov.au). In Western Australia, the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (hadsco.wa.gov.au). In South Australia, the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (hcscc.sa.gov.au). In Tasmania, the Health Complaints Commissioner (healthcomplaints.tas.gov.au).

You can also contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency at ahpra.gov.au if you have concerns about the conduct of a specific registered health practitioner. AHPRA handles registration and professional standards for all regulated health professions in Australia.

Making a complaint does not affect your ongoing care, and in most cases can be done confidentially. You are entitled to take someone with you, or to have an advocate assist you through the process.

When should I consider asking for a patient advocate?

You do not have to be in crisis to ask for an advocate. Common situations where an advocate is helpful include: feeling confused or overwhelmed by what doctors are telling you, feeling like your concerns are not being taken seriously, having difficulty communicating with your medical team, being unsure whether the care you are receiving is appropriate, dealing with a rare or complex diagnosis where coordination across multiple providers is needed, or wanting support making a difficult treatment decision.

If you are not coping with appointments and the information coming at you, tell your GP. They can refer you to a social worker, connect you with a disease-specific support service, or help identify other advocacy options. You do not have to figure this out alone, and asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

What help is available if English is not my first language?

If you or the person you are caring for is more comfortable in a language other than English, you are entitled to use an interpreter for any medical appointment in Australia. This is a right, not a favour. You can request a professional interpreter when you book your appointment. Do not rely on family members to interpret in medical settings if you can avoid it, as this places an unfair burden on them and can lead to information being filtered or misunderstood.

The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) provides telephone interpreters for healthcare settings. Your hospital or specialist can arrange this. The National Relay Service is available for those with hearing or speech impairment.

Many disease-specific support organisations and community health centres also have bilingual support workers or can connect you with community advocates who speak your language.