Best of health for Australia: The experts’ priorities for the 2019 Federal Election by Shelley McInnis
1 April 2019
We thought we might be sprinkled around the Press Club lunch tables, so that we could schmooze with all the veteran journalists but, no. We, Wendy Armstrong, Linda Tromp, Indra Gajanayake and I, your faithful correspondent Shelley, were all shoulder-to-shoulder at Table 5. Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton was with us, too, and, intriguingly for me, especially, […]Improve the health system one question at a time by Kathryn Dwan
19 March 2019
I’ve always been one to ask questions. I spent my early childhood bombarding my poor mother with questions. My fellow uni students would hold their breath at the end of class when the lecturer would ask “Any questions?” I have even been accused of being “insufficiently deferent” simply because I ask questions. Undeterred, I continue […]Have you ever been called a ‘CONSUMER EXPERT’? by Trish Lord
5 February 2019
Several of us (HCCA reps) played this role in mid-December, as part of the Chronic Disease Management Symposium in December 2018. This is an education and development opportunity for all Canberra Health Services staff. It’s an annual event run by the Chronic Disease Management Unit (CDMU). It was entitled “The Stigma of Obesity: Exploring the Barriers […]Do you take a list of issues to your health appointments? by Kathryn Briant
29 January 2019
Many consumers prepare for a medical appointment by making and taking with them a list of issues, symptoms, concerns, treatments tried, or medical history. This approach helps make sure you remember what you want to tell your doctor or health professional, and remind you of what questions you want to ask. Lately I have been […]Consumers advocacy saves lives! by Kathryn Dwan
11 December 2018
Consumer advocacy rarely achieves quick wins. It can take some time before collective effort bears fruit. But never doubt its power! Last week the Public Health Association launched a report entitled Top 10 public health successes of the last 20 years. So many successes achieved through so much hard work, and so many lives saved! The […]Janne Graham: a reflection by David Pearson
Recently at our conference celebrating 40 years of consumer health advocacy, HCCA awarded Janne Graham our first ever life membership. Janne has been an HCCA member and advocate since the early days , and her understated, yet powerful and persistent advocacy work has been an inspiration to many of the people who are active members […]
COTA Affordable, Accessible, Appropriate Housing for Older Australians
4 July 2017
HCCA Consumer Reps Ros Lawson, Sue Andrews and Marion Reilly attended the Council of the Ageing (COTA) Affordable, Accessible, Appropriate Housing Forum on Thursday 22 June 2017 at the National Press Club and have written a summary below of their thoughts and findings from the event. An impressive range of expert speakers with both research and lived […]The challenge of communication – why it matters #hellomynameis by Sally Deacon
20 June 2017
By our nature we are communicators, we trade information using a range of communication methods. When we are sick, feeling vulnerable, needing care, communication forms a central element in ensuring the quality and safety of the care we receive meets our needs. It can be hard for health professionals to get it right, when the […]Page 5 of 5