Health Consumers’ Council was launched on World Health Day (7 April) in 1994 as the independent “voice” on health policy, planning and decision making.
The mission statement at this time stated that HCC would:
- contribute to the health of all people of WA by providing a “voice” and recognised presence for health consumers
- contribute to the planning, development, provision and evaluation of health services
- facilitate an exchange of views on matters of concern affecting the health of consumers.
Since then, we have championed and supported thousands of people to assert their rights, have their say, and influence health service delivery.
On 8 April 2024, we celebrated 30 years of the Health Consumers’ Council together with members, staff and stakeholders.
It was a beautiful day for a celebration at Perth City Farm, where guests were able to move between the indoor and outdoor displays and activities, and catch up with colleagues and old friends.
Noongar Elder Auntie Cheryl Taylor opened the event with a Welcome to Country and reflection, and then we heard from HCC’s founding Chairperson, Ann White, and founding Advocate, Maxine Drake. Our special guest for the event was the Minister for Health, Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson. We also heard from HCC’s current Chair, Mallika Macleod, and our current Executive Director, Clare Mullen.
The speeches were followed by a video in which keys figures from HCC’s past and present shared their reflections and wishes for our anniversary. You can watch the full-length version here (approx. 25 minutes) or view the highlights reel here (approx. 7 minutes).
You can also watch a recording of the formalities and speeches from the event.
Our guests had the opportunity to take part in activities that included sharing their hopes and aspirations for consumer and community involvement in health in a time capsule to be opened in 2034. We invited people to share a pledge about their role in creating that future, which were used to create a pledge tree. There will be opportunities to contribute to these activities throughout the year as we continue our celebrations, so please keep an eye out for them.
Throughout the venue we had displays exploring HCC’s work over the years, including timelines, important moments in our history, key projects, copies of old Health Matters magazines and annual reports, and a look towards the future. We will be sharing some of these with you on our social media soon.
It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community and colleagues, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate you in various ways over the rest of the year.
Photos by Juno Shean