August 2021: Lockdown in South East Queensland
Faced with an outbreak of the Delta variant and a swift lockdown in South East Queensland, HCQ asked consumers around the State: How are the latest COVID-19 outbreaks affecting you and your health?
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill
On Tuesday 25 May 2021, the Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier and Minister for Trade, introduced the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021.The Bill is part of a long and considered process to weigh up whether Queenslanders who are dying should have a choice over the time and circumstances of their death.
Health Consumers Queensland has made a number of submissions on the Bill following consultation with consumers and carers from across the State to ensure a diverse range of views are captured and heard. On Wednesday, 14 July 2021, HCQ’s CEO, Melissa Fox, gave evidence at the public hearing for the Health and Environment Committee’s inquiry into the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021.
Celebrating the power of consumer engagement
“You gave us young people a voice and made a commitment to amplify and sustain it. As young people, we’re endeavouring to help support and improve our healthcare community. Many of us in that room have an unspoken bond and common experience, it’s that passion that motivates us to stay involved and help create something better.”
Welcome to HCQ’s Winter eNews.
High benefit care at end of life
131 consumers and carers from 13 different towns and cities across Queensland have recently participated in 19 Kitchen Table Discussions to talk about what high benefit care at end of life means to them.
Health Consumers Queensland was contracted by Clinical Excellence Queensland (CEQ) to undertake statewide consultation with Queenslanders about their experience with care at end of life.Sometimes, the treatment and care provided to those who have been diagnosed with a life limiting condition (including advanced disease and frailty) does not align with the wishes and values of those who receive it. This project sought to understand what high and low value care means to consumers, in addition to better understanding how consumers can be empowered to participate in decisions about treatment and care that is right for them. (more…)
HCQ TV re-energises consumers, carers and health staff
Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our inaugural webcast series: Sharing Power: Co-design with consumers for impact and equity during 25 May – 3 June.
Our Annual Forums are renowned for bringing together expertise across consumer partnerships. Whilst we could not meet face-to-face this year, we were delighted to still be able to bring you together with 18 inspiring consumer and carer representatives, HCQ and health staff, and NGOs representing consumers and carers to discuss four key issues which influence what it takes to truly share decision-making power.
- Consumer Partnerships Going Digital: Bridge or Barrier?
- Sharing Power: Showcasing successful consumer-led co-design
- Why do you think I’m hard to reach?
- Value based health care – What it means for all of us
Noel Muller
Many of you knew Noel as a fellow member of HCQ’s consumer network and we are sad to share the news that he passed away on 20 April 2021.
Noel was an active, dedicated and inclusive health consumer representative who made a valuable contribution to improving our public health care system whilst championing other health consumers and ensuring that their voices were heard – right up until a few days before his death.
Supporting consumers to make better informed decisions about their health care
Making decisions about health care is a daunting prospect for many. But this is set to become easier now that Queensland Health has adopted a set of communications principles which will underpin a new approach to support value based health care and consumer decision-making. These principles are the key outcome of the Helping Consumers with Decisions project which Health Consumers Queensland undertook for the Strategic Communications Branch earlier this year. (more…)
New Inform my Care website enables consumers to compare health services in a Queensland first
Health Consumers Queensland is delighted to announce the launch of the Inform My Care website
We are proud that this shift towards greater transparency has happened in Queensland, with Queenslanders, for Queenslanders. Queenslanders are the first and only people in Australia who can now compare services available at both public and private health facilities and residential aged care facilities (including maternity models of care) in one place. We can compare staffing ratios, hospital acquired complications, wait times, patient reported outcomes and more.
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