- Safety is at the very foundation of healthcare, but how often do we think about what safe care looks and feels like to us?
- How often do we consider what the healthcare system does to keep us safe?
- Have you ever felt uncomfortable or unsafe when receiving healthcare?
- Do you feel you can speak up if you do start to feel unsafe?
This was Health Consumers Queensland’s 21st conversation with consumers and carers since March 2020. It was clear from the conversation that although consumers assume they are getting care in a safe system and many of the safety nets are invisible to us, consumers can clearly identify and describe what unsafe care (and unsafe environment) fees like to them. All of the 28 people who attended brought their passion and their experience to this conversation, everyone had something to say. Safety is one of the tenets of the Australian Charter for Healthcare Rights.
We heard clearly how much safety matters to everyone who accesses health care. Yet what it looks, feels, sounds and tastes like for each of us is unique – and extends far beyond a single perspective of clinical safety. What feels safe for one person, may not feel safe another.