The Senate have released their report into transvaginal mesh.

Joint State/Territory Peaks Media Release

Vindication for mesh injured women: but suspend mesh until after audit results

Australia’s state and territory based health consumer organisations have welcomed the recognition of the extent and impact of harm to women, and the recommendations contained in the report from the Senate Inquiry into transvaginal mesh implants released yesterday. But they say they hoped the report had gone further.

“We are very pleased that the Senate’s recommendations reflecting our calls to strengthen provisions for informed consent, only using mesh as a last resort, requiring mandatory reporting of complications, establishing a register (which should be retrospective and for all transvaginal mesh devices) and having the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care do an audit of transvaginal mesh procedures in Australia. The Commission must be resourced to do this in a timely manner and the audit should also include procedures done by private specialists” said state and territory consumer peaks spokesperson Melissa Fox, CEO of Health Consumers Queensland.

“However until the community sees this accurate, retrospective data we won’t know just how many women have been harmed by all types of mesh including POP, tapes and slings.  We are disappointed that a more cautious approach wasn’t taken, to recommend the suspension in use of all mesh until the data is in to establish their safety and efficacy.  These devices will continue to be implanted in women in hospitals across Australia tomorrow, and not one more woman should be unwittingly subjected to this high-stakes surgical intervention until we can be assured of their safety”, said Ms Fox. read more…

Young people’s voices the key to improving youth mental health services: PDF

Health Consumers Queensland is advocating for increased involvement of young people and their parents/carers to improve mental health services for children and adolescents across Queensland.

“Sadly, there are too many stories like that of Murray Benton and his family who shared their situation on social media last weekend”, said Melissa Fox, CEO of Health Consumers Queensland.

“Families report profound challenges in helping their children find the care that they need, when they need it, from a health professional they trust, and in a location that is accessible to them”.

“Improving access to mental health services for young people is a high priority and needs to remain a key Queensland Government focus. It is an area of high need for support across the state, both at a strategic level and an operational level”.

“Input from young Queenslanders who use mental health services and their loved ones and carers is key to the development of better services”, she said.

Health Consumers Queensland has been a key partner in the Queensland Government project to deliver outcomes based on recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into the closure of Barrett Adolescent Centre. The partnership has resulted in the inclusion of young people, carers and families at all levels of the project. The result so far has been an unprecedented approach to designing a new youth mental health facility, to be built at the Prince Charles Hospital, commencing later this year.

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For more information on this project, go to: https://www.hcq.org.au/our-work/barrett-inquiry/

Media contact: Melissa Fox, CEO, Health Consumers Queensland 0404 882 716

Next year, Health Consumers Queensland’s Annual Forum will be held over two days Thursday 14 until Friday 15 June 2018 at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane with the theme of “The next generation of partnering”.

Health Consumers Queensland’s signature event will have an exciting new two-day format, featuring:

• Training workshops for health staff and consumers and carers
• Speed networking
• Inaugural Health Consumers Queensland’s Consumer Awards Evening
• A wide range of presentations showcasing Queensland- wide best practice, consumer and community engagement

We look forward to welcoming health consumers and carers, Queensland Health staff, Hospital and Health Service staff, Primary Health Networks, consumer and community organisations, researchers and health leaders from across Queensland to share learnings about “The next generation of partnering”.

Further details, including a program outline, call for abstracts, consumer travel assistance applications and how to register, are coming soon.

For more information email consumer@hcq.org.au