The number of optometrists with Ahpra complaints made against them is the highest in five years, as new official figures show a 4.3% year-on-year rise in the number of optometrists in Australia.
The latest optometry complaints data from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is contained in the Optometry Board of Australia 2023/24 annual report.
During that period, there were 75 complaints, or notifications, about 69 optometrists made Australia-wide.
That’s the highest number during the past five years when there were complaints about 55 optometrists in 2019/20, 44 in 2020/21, 61 in 2021/22 and 57 in 2022/23.
For 2023/24, the number of optometrists with a complaint against them represents 1% of the entire profession.
At the same time, however, the number of optometrists has risen sharply.
Five years ago, there were 6,043 optometrists in 2019/20. For the 2023/24 period, this has increased to 7,051 – a 16% rise during that period.
And year-on-year (2022/23 vs. 2023/24) there are 4.3% more optometrists.
The bulk of complaints in the latest data related to clinical care (50%), followed by communication (13%). Behaviour, offence against other law, and documentation accounted for 5% each, and 21% were categorised as other.
There were 34 notifications closed during the period, with the majority requiring no further action.
Breaking this down, the data shows 17.6% of closed cases had conditions imposed on their registration, 38.2% were referred to another body or retained by a health complaints organisation, and 44.1% required no further regulatory action, including where the practitioner has taken steps to address the issue.
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