What the HCC Engagement team have been up to in Djilba (August-September) 2022

Posted on September 16, 2022

It’s been a busy few weeks for our team – here’s a selection of some of the meetings and events we’ve been part of…

  • Meeting with the WA Council of Social Services to discuss work happening on partnership in relation to the WA Sustainable Health Review (SHR)
  • Meeting with Helping Minds to discuss shared interests
  • Promoting consumer perspectives as part of the East Metropolitan Health Service Obesity Prevention Strategy Implementation Committee
  • Meeting with East Metropolitan Health Service to discuss ways of getting consumer input to inform plans for a weight management clinic
  • Promoting consumer perspectives as part of the East Metropolitan Health Service Weight Management Clinic model of care project reference group
  • Hosting a community conversation about the WA consultation on Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Acts to inform HCC’s submission on this topic
  • Meeting with the consumer organisations in other states and territories to discuss how we can have more of a state consumer voice on national issues – such as primary care reform
  • Meeting with the Department of Health to discuss our new contract arrangements (which will kick in from 1 January 2023)
  • Meeting with the Department of Health to understand the state position on Long COVID
  • Attending the launch of the Consumers of Mental Health WA launch of their new individual advocacy service for people with psycho-social disability
  • Call with Cancer Council WA about running consumer focus groups
  • Taking part in cultural responsiveness training
  • Hosting two consumer forums – funded by the WA Department of Health – on the experience of multicultural men and multicultural people living regionally in relation to cancer care and information
  • Taking part in the Care Opinion national advisory group
  • Meeting with the team at the National Justice Project about the next steps with the Aboriginal Patient Advocacy Training
  • Promoting consumer perspectives at the Emergency Access Reform Program Control Group
  • Delivering our first fully virtual consumer representative training workshop
  • Meeting with the Department of Health to discuss the work on SHR Recommendation 23 in relation to clinical and consumer leadership
  • Meeting with the WA Primary Health Alliance to support consumer involvement in the development of a model of care for chronic heart failure
  • Meeting with the WA Country Health Service to help them access consumer-facing materials about engaging with health services
  • Meeting with the Department of Health about sexual health and blood borne viruses
  • Meeting with Consumer and Community Involvement Program (CCIP) and a consumer leader to discuss opportunities to connect consumers, carers and community members with lived experience of cancer – planning a community conversation in October
  • Meeting with the Department of Health to discuss communities of practice
  • Taking part in an online forum on COVID Antivirals
  • Attending the launch of the refreshed Live Lighter campaign
  • Promoting consumer perspectives in a meeting with the WA Enrolled Nurses Cooperative hosted by Community Skills WA
  • Hosting a community conversation about the reality of “living with COVID” with Professor Grant Waterer
  • Meeting with the Department of Health about their plans to involve consumers in the development of a WA Safety and Quality strategy.
  • Meeting with Community Legal WA and the WA Financial Counsellors Association to discuss shared interests and possible collaboration opportunities
  • Meeting with People With disability WA to discuss the Empowering Health Consumers With Disability training we are running together
  • Attending Clinical Services Redesign Methodology training with other people involved in the Emergency Access Reform program across WA Health
  • Meeting with Asthma Australia to discuss shared interests
  • Hosting a cultural sensitivity training with a private hospital
  • Hosting an online workshop on Acknowledging Country (find out more about these workshops and sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/acknowledging-country-tickets-414587019937
  • Presenting – alongside two consumers – on the lived experience of overweight and obesity to 3rd year medical students at Curtin University
  • Meeting with the Department of Health and the WA Primary Health Alliance about the work on the WELL Collaborative (WELL = Weight Education and Lifestyle Leadership)
  • Talking on the ABC Perth morning show about the implications for consumers of the one-off public holidays on 22 September

This is only part of the work HCC does. At the same time, our Advocacy team have been responding to individual consumer enquiries every day providing both “in the moment” support, and also longer term support and advice to consumers who’s enquiries require involvement over a longer period of time.