Partner, Adapt and Thrive: Navigating the future together
13-14 October 2022 | Novotel Sunshine Coast, Twin Waters
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that partnerships can flourish in the toughest of circumstances. Queensland’s consumer partnerships were the envy of other states thanks to our health system’s unique willingness to work shoulder to shoulder with consumers in an atmosphere of openness, trust and mutual respect.
Consumers brought new insights to shared problems which led us together to innovative and person-centred strategies and healthcare.
What have we learnt? When we partner and adapt, together we can thrive.
In October 2022 we gathered on the Sunshine Coast to celebrate the people leading the way in partnerships today, and to be inspired by their success stories.
Inspirational, connected group of passionate people making a difference in healthcare makes the HCQ forum excel. It is fabulous to see expansion and growth in consumer engagement and partnership practise across the state. Well done. – Forum attendee
It was wonderful to be finally reunited with so many consumers and health staff and to welcome new faces both online and on the Sunshine Coast for our long-awaited Annual Forum on 13-14 October 2022.
Held across two days, it gave an opportunity for more than 200 people to gather face to face (and more on-line), to share insights and learn from others, with workshops, panel discussions, presentations and an evening networking event.
We are all part of a movement and during this time of health reform and ongoing uncertainty, we wanted to create an event that would be engaging, energising and inspiring. Certainly, we can still feel all the positive energy that was created even two weeks later! Equally, we hope you enjoyed the space and time to relax, reflect and simply be with people again.
Aunty Lauraine Barlow is an Aboriginal Elder and a Member of the Health Equity Steering Committee for Metro North Hospital and Health Service. At the Forum, she spoke for the power of consumer engagement at a time of change during the First Nations Health Equity Panel Discussion when she said:
I know my voice is as powerful as a strong pointy spear… At the steadfast pace I now walk, I have found that my hope grows strong and this in turn stabilises my faith and my trust in this changeable and complex society we all live in.
We would particularly like to thank all the speakers and panelists for bringing their strong, pointy spears and sharing their experiences and outcomes from health engagement. We would also like to thank all the attendees for their questions, comments and participation in the workshopping activities.