“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.
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…)
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.
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.
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…)
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.
HCQ’s Youth Reference Group (YRG) have set a new bar for engagement after their presentation to Queensland Health’s Senior Leadership Forum (SLF) which is chaired by Dr John Wakefield, Director General, received broad support from Chief Executives and Deputy Director-Generals right across the system.
Anja, one of the YRG members explains: “Breanna, Lachlan and I had the honour of presenting to the Queensland Health Senior Leadership Forum on 13th July to encourage investment and commitment into amplifying the youth voice across Queensland. We presented the work of the Youth Reference Group (YRG) which has worked collaboratively to develop the Youth Engagement Framework. (more…)
Three cheers for our Engagement Adviser, Leonie Sanderson, whose time with HCQ came to an end in June.
Leonie joined us in 2016 for a five year journey as the dedicated bridge and builder of trust between families and the government to support the implementation of the recommendations from the Barrett Centre Inquiry. With over 20 years of experience working in the consumer, engagement and community space, a background in youth engagement, and a compassionate and person-centred approach, she was perfectly placed to support these relationships and help develop a shared vision for what mental health services and care for young people could look like.
Jacaranda Place, Brisbane’s extended adolescent treatment centre offering in-patient care, step up-step down facilities and day programs is the result of this work and is now a world class model of care and facility for young people with complex and chronic mental health conditions. Not only does it represent a much-needed investment in mental health services for young people, it is also, thanks to Leonie’s contribution, a brilliant example of the power of genuine co-design.