Do you want to help influence the future direction of our state's health care?
This edition, we’re putting the call out to invite you to join others in the consumer representative community, for training and networking, community conversations around healthy weight and safe maternal and newborn care, and to invite you to take part in important projects like the Sustainable Health Review Recommendation 4 Steering Group. Recommendation 4 is all about Citizen and Community Partnership, and we are excited about the forthcoming forum in October, and will include more information and registration information in the next e-news.
We want everyone in WA to be able to influence the future direction of our state’s health care, which is why we would love you to share these opportunities with your friends, family, colleagues or community. All the links on how to do this are just below under ‘Want to get involved’, and if you’re already following us on social media make sure you drop a like, share or comment on our posts as it helps us increase our reach so more people can have their say on important projects and consultations.
We’ve heard a lot recently about the importance of closing the loop and providing feedback to consumers, so we wanted to share a win with you.
Some time back, we were involved in a project to provide feedback to the health system about the experience of consumers, carers and their families when making a complaint about health services.
As part of this project we flagged that while there was a category for reporting ‘discrimination’ as part of the feedback, there wasn’t any way to record what kind of discrimination was experienced.
This was prompted in particular by the feedback we heard from Aboriginal consumers about their experience of racism in health services.
We’re pleased to be able to let you know that ‘racial discrimination’ has now been added as a standalone category when providing feedback about your experiences with the health system.
Additionally, categories have also been added for ‘disability discrimination’, ‘sex/gender discrimination’, and ‘age discrimination’.
If you’d like to find out more about providing feedback, you can do so at https://www.hconc.org.au/what-we-do/policy-development/giving-feedback/
A message of support
Health Consumers’ Council wishes to expresses our sorrow at the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. We stand in support of the Afghan community, overseas and in Australia, and acknowledge our concern for the safety of all people in Afghanistan, especially women and children.
We call on Governments to assist those seeking safe passage from the devastating conflict in Afghanistan, and acknowledge the ongoing health impacts this devastating situation will have on the Afghan community as we keep them in our thoughts.
Pip Brennan, Executive Director
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Want to get involved?
Your voice and your experiences are important and can help shape what health service in WA looks like. Want to get involved?
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Covid-19 updates
If you missed our Fireside Chat about Covid vaccines with Dr Chris Blyth from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, you can now watch the recording online at https://www.hconc.org.au/issues/covid-19/
The Australian Government is rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine free for everyone in Australia, including all Australian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary visa holders.
The latest news and information on COVID-19 vaccines in Australia is available here.
Vaccine information in multiple languages is available here.
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Sustainable Health Review – EOI and updates
Call for Expression of Interest - Sustainable Health Review Recommendation 4 Steering Group
Sustainable Health Review Recommendation 4:
Commit to new approaches to support citizen and community partnership in the design, delivery and evaluation of sustainable health and social care services and reported outcomes.
The Co-Leads for Sustainable Health Review Recommendation 4 (SHR4) are drawing together a Steering Group to lead the implementation of SHR4 in accordance with governance structures and the program streams and initiatives.
WA Health are calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from consumers, carers, lived experience representatives and other interested key stakeholders, to join the SHR4 Steering Group.
Please find attached EOI, with a closing date of September 6.
If you would like to discuss this opportunity or require further information, please contact Melanie.James@health.wa.gov.au or call 9222 6444
Recommendation updates
Health Consumers’ Council has begun to create a series of videos that take a look at the recommendations of the SHR through a consumer lens.
The first video explores Recommendation 2a: Halt the rise in obesity in WA by July 2024 and have the highest percentage of population with a healthy weight of all states in Australia by July 2029.
In this short video, we give a brief overview of what we know about the plans in regards to this recommendation as of early August 2021.
You can view the video at https://www.hconc.org.au/consumer-updates-and-conversations/
Or find our full resources on the SHR at https://www.hconc.org.au/what-we-do/policy-development/sustainable-health-review-consumer-view/
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Safe maternal and newborn care – a panel discussion
To mark World Patient Safety Day 2021, and the theme of safe maternal and newborn care, Health Consumers’ Council invites you to join an interactive Q&A panel discussion exploring maternal and childbirth care.
In partnership with AHPRA and Women’s and Newborns Health Network, we will explore topics such as Aboriginal women’s experiences of childbirth, the impact of COVID on birthing women, why feedback is important and how it changes things, and how to give feedback.
Date: Friday 17 September
Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Location: Online, via Zoom
For more details and to register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/safe-maternal-and-newborn-care-a-panel-discussion-tickets-167027340271
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Build your consumer representation skills
Health consumer representatives are vital to ensuring a person-centred health system. Consumers provide valuable information about how services should be designed and delivered to best meet the needs of people using those services.
A consumer can be a patient, a family member, community member or a carer.
We offer free training to help you get started, or continue building your skills, as a consumer representative.
Introduction to consumer representation
Wednesday 13 October, 10:15am-2:15pm
Find out more and register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-consumer-representation-training-october-tickets-158694590793
Advanced consumer representation
Wednesday 27 October, 10:15am-2:15pm
Find out more and register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/advanced-consumer-representation-training-october-tickets-158694711153
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Networking for consumer, carer, community, family and lived experience representatives
Join us for networking and learning with a group of like-minded peers.
At our last networking event in June, you spoke about the importance of involving consumers, carers and community members in the development and use of safety and quality indicators.
For this networking session, Dr Tina Bertilone and Dr Ben Hartmann from the Department of Health will give a brief overview of some of the work they are doing in this area. They will also give an overview of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) and Patient Related Experience Measures (PREMS).
There will be an opportunity to discuss what opportunities we think there are for more consumer involvement in this area.
Come along to discuss these topics and more, as well as hearing a brief update from Health Consumers' Council about some key statewide issues.
Date: Thursday 9 September
Time: 10am – 12pm
Location: online, via Zoom
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/consumer-representative-networking-septemberdjilba-2021-tickets-160712871525
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Community update – Healthy Life for Longer
Come along and hear from staff from the Health Consumers’ Council WA and national Weight Issues Network as they debrief from their recent participation in the national Obesity Society conference.
We’ll also be joined by staff from the Consumer and Community Involvement Program as we explore what’s important to consumers and the community on this topic with regards to health services and health research.
Date: Thursday 2 September
Time: 11.30am – 1pm
Location: Online, via Zoom
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/healthy-life-for-longer-community-update-september-tickets-164439873087
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Volunteers needed for blood-borne virus (BBV) e-learning training package
The Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program (SHBBVP) are seeking people who have lived experience with a blood-borne virus (BBV) to be involved in developing content for a BBV Stigma and Discrimination e-learning training package for WA Health staff.
This is a partnership project with Health Consumers' Council - a lived experience group have been meeting over July and August to help shape the project. The e-learning training package is being created by Health Support Services (HSS).
The content for the e-learning module being developed includes:
• audio voiceovers
• interviews
• filmed video scenarios
• written stories.
The goal of this project is to include the experiences of a diverse range of individuals. People who identify as Aboriginal, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and LGBTIQ+ are encouraged to apply. If you are interested in being involved, please complete the expression of interest form.
For more information and queries please contact stigma@health.wa.gov.au
Expressions of interest close 12pm Friday 3 September 2021.
Register you EOI at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBVModuleContent
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Health service staff – partnering with consumers lunch and learn
Following our well-received introduction session in June, we’re holding another online lunch and learn session for health service staff exploring the practicalities of partnering and engaging with consumers.
We will look at a case study to show the importance of using a variety of methods to reach a range of audiences. We’ll share what we did and what we’ve learned (and continue to learn) from this work.
Date: Thursday 30 September
Time: 12pm – 1pm
Location: Online, via Zoom
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/practicalities-of-consumer-partnership-tickets-164461686331?aff=HNU
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Accepting Support for Respite at Home guide
WA Primary Health Alliance in partnership with the Albany Community Hospice has developed the Accepting Support for Respite at Home Guide to encourage carers and people who are very unwell to feel more comfortable accepting help in the home, especially respite to allow the carer/s to have quality time for themselves.
It is based on research from the La Trobe University Healthy End of Life Project and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network. It has been developed with the support of Albany Community Hospice, Carers WA and Clarence Estate Palliative Care Team.
La Trobe University’s Healthy End of Life Project (HELP) found that; asking for help was not considered an option, even when it was clearly needed and when support networks were willing and available. Almost without exception, carers were either reluctant to accept help or declined help when it was offered by friends and family. The three most common responses as to why, were; to avoid ‘being a burden’, because dying was a ‘private matter’ and because ‘needing support’ was perceived as ‘not coping’, and therefore socially unacceptable. The research also found that the people around them were also hesitant to offer help for fear of infringing on the people’s privacy.
The guide focuses on practical tips and ‘to-do’s’ for having informal support from friends, neighbours and other community members in your home. It emphasises the importance of carers and other family members having quality time for themselves.
You can download the guide at
https://albanyhospice.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Accepting-support-for-respite-at-home-small.pdf
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Consumer participation opportunities
- Every week we send out an email with information about consumer consultations, representative opportunities and relevant workshops - if you'd like to sign up for this you can do so at http://eepurl.com/cREYkn
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Consultation now open on how to enhance clinical trials in WA
The Future Health Research Innovation Fund (through the Department of Health), supported by the WA Health Translation Network and MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, is conducting a consultation regarding potential Programs and Initiatives to advance clinical trials in WA.
The purpose of the consultation is to identify actions that may enhance clinical trial capacity and expertise, improving the quality of clinical trials in WA and making the State more competitive for grant funding and attractive to commercial sponsors.
Two surveys to support this consultation are now open and all responses are welcome. The survey will be open until midnight on Thursday 2 September 2021.
To complete the survey, please visit one of the links below:
The first survey is for consumers who have an interest or experience in clinical trials (including as part of a research team):
https://redcap.curtin.edu.au/surveys/?s=CYMYMKMN888L4CF8
The second survey is for people who conduct, support or facilitate clinical trials as part of their employment:
https://redcap.curtin.edu.au/surveys/?s=FKRPPTMJECMXJXYJ
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Let’s talk about using health information in patient care: Community Conversation
CCIProgram are inviting all people who have experienced health care, utilising health services and IT services throughout the South Metropolitan Health Services area to a community conversations about using health information in patient care.
This conversation will gather feedback on the TRANSFORM project – a digital platform to support South Metropolitan Health Service clinicians to manage and communicate with their patients more efficiently and effectively. The electronic system will also collect and store patient’s medical information that can be used by clinicians to evaluate their service, discover new treatments and improve patient care.
22 September, 6-8pm at Fiona Stanley Hospital
Find out more at https://cciprogram.org/events_training/transform-community-conversations/
Details for a community conversation for North Metropolitan Health Services will be available soon.
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Linear Clinical Trials – Priority Setting Workshop
Linear Clinical Research are planning a purpose-built clinical trial centre which will allow more patients of Western Australia to potentially benefit from new treatments through clinical trials. Ensure your voices are heard in the development of this project through this Priority Setting Workshop.
OBJECTIVE OF THE WORKSHOP
To gain insight into design of new Clinical Trial Centre from people with lived experience of cancer and their carers.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
To have lived experience of cancer or as a carer of someone living with cancer.
Date: 1 September, 2021 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Harry Perkins Institute Nedlands - G24
https://cciprogram.org/events_training/linear-priorities-setting-workshop/
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Person-Centred Value-Based Health Care
You are invited to the launch of a global report focused on how to bring together Value-Based Health Care, Person-Centred Health Care and Population Equity.
You can choose from two virtual launches of the report, both of which will take place via Zoom. Program and speakers can be viewed here: https://www.sprink.co.uk/launch-event/#programme
How do we link the goals of people receiving care to the outcomes we capture as healthcare systems?
How do we use this data to support decision making at all levels of the system and how does the data support the equitable allocation of resources at the population level?
Join us to hear practical perspectives and recommendations from global thought leaders in this area. SIGN UP NOW: www.sprink.co.uk/launch-event/#signup
LAUNCH 1: Tuesday 28th September 2021, 9am-10:30am BST
LAUNCH 2: Thursday 30th September 2021, 4pm-5:30pm BST
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YEP’s Youth Sector Summit 2021
Healthy relationships for young people and sexual health needs of subpopulations: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, LGBTIQA+ young people, culturally and linguistically diverse young people (CaLD) and young people living with disabilities.
22 September, Maylands, WA.
Tickets on sale now! https://events.humanitix.com/yep-youth-sector-summit
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Mental Health Needs and Community Supports - Regional Communities Survey
Have your say for your chance to win one of five $30 gift vouchers on offer
- What supports are available in regional WA to help people with their mental health?
- Do people have options for different needs - to assist with social connection, recovery and to live their best life?
- Where are the difficulties and what is missing?
The Mental Health Needs and Community Supports – Regional Communities Survey aims to understand the needs for community mental health support options in regional areas. Often it is the experiences of people living in metropolitan Perth that informs services and policy settings, with the needs of people outside of Perth being less understood.
This work is being conducted by a partnership between the Western Australian Association for Mental Health and the Centre for Social Impact, University of Western Australia.
Together, they are seeking the views of mental health and alcohol and other drugs consumers, carers and family members, service providers and any community members with an interest in mental health or their community.
The team want to better understand what it is like to seek and receive support for mental health challenges while living in rural and regional WA.
This survey offers you the chance to be heard!
Participants can also put their name down to go into a prize draw to win one of five Coles group gift vouchers valued at $30.
Contact
If you would like to discuss this survey, or the project, or to obtain a document copy of the Participant Information Form and/or Consent Details to keep, please contact:
Lisette Kaleveld, Research Officer, Centre for Social Impact
M. 0418 605 629
E. Lisette.Kaleveld@uwa.edu.au
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