Recruiting: Paying consumers

Planning and preparation

Laying the foundations for a strong consumer partnership

How we can help

See what support we can offer your consumer recruitment

Recruitment process

Guiding you through every step along the process

Paying consumers

The how, why and when of remuneration and reimbursement

Guidance on consumer remuneration

See our Position Statement on Remuneration and Reimbursement of Consumers , effective until 30 June 2024

Updated Position Statement

Health Consumers Queensland has updated the Consumer Remuneration Position Statement, effective from 1 July 2024.

Our goal with this updated statement is to ensure everyone, especially those with the highest barriers to good healthcare, can freely share their experiences to make healthcare better. Financial barriers shouldn’t stop anyone from taking part.

Still have questions? Contact us – we are happy to talk it through with you.

Download the updated Position Statement

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I organise payments within Queensland Health?

Queensland Health has produced several helpful documents on consumer payments.

Keep an eye on QHEPS for any updates or additions to these documents.

If you are working within a Hospital and Health Service, each of these has their own method of paying consumers. Speak with your consumer engagement team for advice.

What if I don’t have the budget to pay consumers?

If you factor in consumer payments from the initial planning stages, they can be factored in as easily as any other budgetary items. Consumer payments are modest. Consider the expertise that consumers bring to your project and the potential costs of this perspective not being heard.

But if we pay consumers, won’t we get “professional consumers”?

If you feel that you are always seeing the same faces in your consumer partnerships, it’s likely that payment is not the issue. You can broaden your pool of consumers by:

  • Making your activity accessible
  • Start your promotion sooner
  • Make connections with organisations that support the types of consumers you are not seeing. They can give you advice and support your promotion.
  • Developing and continually engaging a consumer community of interest

Why remunerate consumers?

There are many good reasons to support partnering consumers with remuneration and reimbursement.

Health Consumers Queensland recommends that no consumer should be financially disadvantaged as a result of their contribution to a health organisation.

Beyond that, paying consumers in a fair and timely way is one thing you can do to give your project a greater chance of success. When consumers are not paid, you will only attract consumers who can afford the time and expense of taking part. This may exclude:

  • People who have caring responsibilities, and who will need to pay for care while they take part in a partnering activity
  •  People who are casual workers and who need to take time off work to participate
  • People on a low income for whom transport is costly

By excluding these groups, you may not hear the voices of people who need your service the most. You will also not get the fullest picture of how to make your service as effective as it could be.