Health Consumers Queensland Annual Forum 2018: “The next generation of partnering”

Next year, Health Consumers Queensland’s Annual Forum will be held over two days Thursday 14 until Friday 15 June 2018 at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane with the theme of “The next generation of partnering”.

Health Consumers Queensland’s signature event will have an exciting new two-day format, featuring:

  • Training workshops for health staff and consumers and carers
  • Speed networking
  • Inaugural Health Consumers Queensland’s Consumer Awards Evening
  • A wide range of presentations showcasing Queensland- wide best practice, consumer and community engagement

We look forward to welcoming health consumers and carers, Queensland Health staff, Hospital and Health Service staff, Primary Health Networks, consumer and community organisations, researchers and health leaders from across Queensland to share learnings about “The next generation of partnering”.

Further details, including a program outline, call for abstracts, consumer travel assistance applications and how to register, are coming soon.

For more information email consumer@hcq.org.au

Survey updates

Women who have had mesh surgically implanted to treat vaginal prolapse or urinary incontinence were invited to respond to a survey from Australia’s state, territory and national peak consumer groups, including Health Consumers Queensland. The experiences reported will be vital to inform a joint Senate submission being drafted by our organizations.

(Note that mesh can also be referred to as tape, a sling, or TVT)

This survey is now closed. Health Issues Centre would like to thank all of the women who have bravely shared their experiences of pelvic mesh implants. We will continue working on behalf of all mesh injured women. You can follow updates on http://www.facebook.com/UnderstandingPelvicMesh .

General information

Information sheet on transvaginal mesh

Story from The Project on transvaginal mesh implants

The Project’s page with further information, links & statements (please note that they currently have the incorrect address listed for the Qld complaints body, the correct address being http://www.oho.qld.gov.au/)

Information from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) organised a series of consumer consultation forums with the assistance of state health consumer councils in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney from January to March 2017. The intent was to provide consumers with the opportunity to provide information about their experience of transvaginal mesh treatment to inform the development of patient decision support resources.

Thirty-one women participated in the forums, either in person or by telephone. All but one of the women who participated in the forums had experienced complications following transvaginal mesh treatment, and the majority of participants had been treated for stress urinary incontinence.

The common themes and issues raised by women who attended the forums are summarised on this page.

Senate Inquiry

A Senate inquiry is being held in Australia on the number of women in Australia who have had transvaginal mesh implants and related matters. Women were invited to share their experiences via submissions. The submissions closed on 31 May 2017.

Health Consumers Queensland is feeding into a joint submission from the state and territory peak consumer organisations across Australia.  Our equivalent organisation in Victoria, Health Issues Centre, has created a time-limited Facebook page to gather feedback from consumers to inform this submission. All information will be used without identifying the respondent.