Month: March 2025

Meet your HCCWA Team: Chrissy

Posted on March 6, 2025

Our team works hard for the people of WA, we’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of West Aussies and working hard to make patients, carers, loved ones—all health consumers—are at the centre of our healthcare system:  Our health. Our voice. Our healthcare. 

We like you to meet Chrissie, an integral part of our individual advocacy team.

How long have you worked at HCCWA

14 years on the 14th March (2025)

What inspired you to work at HCCWA?

I saw how an advocate from HCCWA advocated for someone that made a huge improvement in their life (teeth vs toothless).  I thought I would like to be able to help people improve their health and life like that. The consumer’s life improved dramatically.

Describe what you do.

I advocate for people in WA who have a query, concern or communication issue with a WA health service.  Sometimes it is just providing information about what a person’s rights are, what services are available,through to supporting people in appointments and meetings related to their health.  I/we aim to empower health service users to be able to advocate for themselves and their family and friends, so they may have an optimal health journey.

What do you think about HCCWA and the work we do?

HCCWA is the best place I have ever worked due to the staff who I work with (and that spans a lot of years!).

The HCC team are all amazing, caring, committed  people who go the extra mile to ensure that the clients or consumers that use our service, are at the forefront of everything we do.  We strive to do our best to help ensure health service users rights are upheld and empower them to have an improved health journey. Keeping our staff supported is key to being the best we can for our consumers.

How do you see your work helping to improve outcomes and experiences for everyone in WA?

Each day I see the work of our team supporting WA health consumers to find out more about their rights and the services available in WA. Whether it be through engagement or advocacy, consumers will know more about what  and who is available and how they might access services. Everyday I listen to consumers, assisting them to realise what is possible vs likely, providing them with tools to help them navigate the health system, or other support (referrals to other services where appropriate), enabling them to have more effective, safer and less confusing healthcare.

Ever met anyone famous?

Not for a long time but I spoke to Cat Stevens for about a minute, when he was leaving the WACA in 1970’s (I was only about 14 years old so I was in heaven for about a week after that!) and more recently, about 20 years ago, Bob Geldof came in and browsed at the antique stall I was working at in Scarborough Fair Markets.

Consumers in the media

Posted on March 6, 2025

As WA’s peak body for health consumers, we are often approached for comment by news outlets. Here’s a snapshot of some recent coverage:

Health consumer priorities in the WA state election

Posted on March 6, 2025

This is a follow on from our blog post outlining our priorities and listing the election commitments from the two major parties against those priorities.

Based on our discussions with consumers HCC’s priorities for health are:

  • Increased access to affordable primary care
  • Increased investment in things that help us stay healthy (preventative measures)
  • Continued improvement in the safety, efficiency and capacity of the hospital system
  • Improved access to health care in the community and closer to home.

Many of our allies in the health consumer and lived experience sector have published their specific requests for election time.  Their answers tell an interesting story of a sector where incredible work could be done if there was adequate funding, but also where there are some excellent, innovative ideas that would not be particularly costly to implement.

Let’s have a look at what’s being asked for:

Carers WA Carers Count at the 2025 State Election | Carers WA

  • $400,000 Carer hardship and carer respite grants program for WA Carers
  • Establish a Carers card
  • A new carers strategy
  • $890 000 support for young carers in regional areas
  • Establish a service navigation system for carers

Aboriginal Health Council of WA WA State Election: AHCWA’s Key Priorities – AHCWA

  • Culturally safe short stay accommodation for pregnant women
  • Affordable and appropriate housing
  • Funding for Aboriginal Environmental Health Model of care and community capacity building for remote maintenance
  • Free dental care for all Aboriginal people in WA
  • Social and emotional wellbeing and family and domestic and sexual violence program funding
  • Improved child development services
  • PATS Coordinator in each region

Developmental Disability WA Election Undertakings 2025 for people with intellectual disability

  • Introduce mandatory training on intellectual disabilities for all health staff.
  • Set up Specialist Disability Health Hubs in each health region to improve the health and mental health of PwID.
  • Ensure the State health plan includes PwID as a priority group.
  • Introduce a “flag” to identify intellectual disability in a person’s WA health record
  • Contribute to a WA Easy Read website that provides key public information about health and other government services.

Consumers of Mental Health WA Election 2025: An Election for Mental Health – Consumers of Mental Health WA

  • An alternative to Emergency departments for people in emotional crisis
  • Increase finding to co designed community and peer led mental health services
  • Independent review, co-led by people with lived experience, on strategies to eliminate force, seclusion and restraint
  • Enhance access to advocacy through mental health advocacy service
  • Commit to a human rights act for WA
  • Secure and sustainable funding to pilot Aboriginal community controlled services
  • Embark on funded commitment to the Gayaa Dhuwi declaration implementation plan

Council on the Ageing WA 2025 Election Platform  – Council On The Ageing WA

  • Waive stamp duty for people aged over 65
  • Incorporate Silver Housing Standards in the WA Building Code
  • Expand the supply of affordable housing
  • Introduce a $150 “Fit for Life” voucher for seniors, modelled on the Kidsport initiative
  • Fund a “Preparing for the Unexpected” program to support seniors who are likely to be hospitalised due to a complex health issue or frailty
  • Fund a falls prevention program
  • Provide ongoing $250 000 per annum to Council on the Ageing WA

These priorities have been informed by health consumers, people with lived experience, and input from members of the above organisations. Amplifying and championing the voices of consumers and people with lived experience leads to better outcomes, whether that be in policy development or program delivery.

Including consumer voices goes beyond consultation, it means properly involving people who use the health system to help all of us to understand and address the unfairness in the system.  

What we see when we look at this list is a commitment to important preventative health projects, and projects that would make our health system fairer for all.

These ideas would all contribute to healthier, more connected community members, who are receiving the assistance they need in their communities. This in turn improves the patient experience in our health system and reduces the pressure on the public hospital system meaning that those who need healthcare can get it promptly.

If you’ve any thoughts about any of these, please contact Bronwyn Ife at br*********@hc***.au