is not clear, the complaint will be referred to the Commissioner for preliminary assessment. The Board cannot take any action under Part 4 of the HPCA Act on a complaint while it is being investigated by the Health and Disability Commissioner. (It can, however, take action under other Parts of the Act). The Commissioner has various options when a complaint is received.  He must refer matters to the appropriate authority (e.g., the Psychologists Board) when an investigation has revealed a significant breach of duty or misconduct; and if at any point during the complaint handling process he has reason to believe that the practice of a health practitioner may pose a risk of harm to the public. Formal complaints are normally dealt with via the following pathway: Complaint is received by the Registrar. If a health consumer is affected the complaint is forwarded to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC). The practitioner concerned receives a copy of the complaint. Once the HDC sends the complaint back to the Board (by formal referral or otherwise) the practitioner is asked for comment. The complainant is then given an opportunity to comment on the practitioner's response. A precis and recommendation is then prepared for the P3&4 Committee's consideration on what course of action if any should be taken. The P3&4 Committee may decide to refer the complaint to a Professional Conduct Committee(PCC) (see below). The P3&4 Committee also has the option of referring the matter to be dealt with under Part 3 of