Joint media release
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, and the Commissioner for the New South
Wales Health Care Complaints Commission, Ms Merrilyn Walton, today signed an important Memorandum of Understanding on
cooperation between the two agencies.
"Health and safety issues are regarded as a priority area for the ACCC, since the introduction of competition to the
professional sector," Professor Fels said.
"The MOU builds upon the already close relationship between the two organisations," Ms Walton said. "The HCCC is an
independent statutory body established in NSW to investigate, review and resolve complaints about health services and
facilities and improve standards of health care".
The ACCC has been active in ensuring that advertising for health care services and other conduct by health practitioners
do not mislead the public.
For example ACCC staff liaise with the HCCC by referring complaints about health care services, exchanging information
about the ACCC's involvement in particular matters and contributing to health care inquiries chaired by the HCC
Commissioner.
The proposed agreement will formalise the liaison between the two agencies and will provide for better coordination and
cooperation between them with regard to both enforcement and education activities.
Under the Memorandum, the two agencies will refer complaints to the most appropriate agency, exchange information where
that is permitted by law and undertake joint responses to problems in the market. For example, the agencies are
currently working together to develop a Guide to the promotion of health services and a conference on advertising
medical services to be held in October.
Copies of the Memorandum will be available from the ACCC website: www.accc.gov.au.