11 Jan 2022
Queensland’s border opening just prior to Christmas, coupled with the dramatic rise in cases from the highly infectious Omicron variant and recent adoption of national policy shifts has meant Queensland’s pandemic preparedness has been deeply tested.
An exhausted health workforce and Queenslanders have faced the challenges of the last three weeks with agility, resilience and commitment.
During this time Health Consumers Queensland, consumer and community organisations have been escalating issues, sharing resources, and supporting care providers and consumers.
This Hot Issues Brief paper is a summary of issues of importance to consumers in this response that need to be urgently resolved.
Read the Hot Issues Brief paper >
22 Dec 2021
With our state border due to open on 17 December, Health Consumers Queensland hosted 3 webcasts. Our aim was to increase the COVID-readiness of Queensland health consumers and carers. We did this by providing a forum for information-sharing by clinical experts and leaders from Queensland Health. What we heard was that Queenslanders feel uncertainty and want to:
- Hear from their local health services
- Know what plans are in place
- Know how to escalate issues
- Know how to be prepared
See the webcast series here >
Download the summary paper >
22 Dec 2021
Throughout the pandemic we have been hearing the concerns of consumers and health staff in rural and remote areas about how a COVID outbreak could affect their communities and families.
There are large sections of Queensland where they have been fortunate not to have a single case of COVID. But what does this mean when COVID comes to Queensland, and comes into areas that haven’t been exposed to it?
- What levels of community transmission are likely during outbreaks in rural and remote communities? What impact will lower vaccination rates have?
- What will healthcare look like in rural and remote areas during a COVID-19 surge?
- What will COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment mean if hospital is hours away?
- How are rural and remote communities, smaller health services, rural GPs, community controlled health organisations, retrieval services, local councils and local emergency services preparing to cope?
- How will people access food, medications and community services?
In our third webcast of the series, Melissa Fox hosts Statewide Rural and Remote Clinical Network co-chairs Dr Konrad Kangru and Dr Emily Moody to discuss COVID-19 preparation from a rural and remote perspective.
22 Dec 2021
A holiday message to our wonderful health consumers, carers and health staff across Queensland
If we have learnt anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that we don’t know exactly what the future may hold. Regardless of what unfolds, what we can and have been doing, is working to ensure the health system and consumers are prepared for any eventuality.
I would like to thank our incredible and diverse network of consumers for continuing to answer the call (sometimes at very short notice) to share your experiences and insights to improve health care for yourselves and your communities.
2021 has been a huge year. Read our final eNews of the year to see the incredible amount of engagement that our small but passionate team of staff have facilitated.
Read the December eNews >
13 Dec 2021
Challenges and Lessons of COVID from a Unique Perspective
Dr Krispin Hajkowicz understands COVID-19 as few Queenslanders can. As one of Australia’s leading infectious diseases doctors in Australia, in 2020 he found himself at the epicentre of Queensland’s coronavirus outbreak, overseeing care for COVID positive patients at one of Queensland’s biggest hospitals. The fear of inadvertently bringing COVID-19 home to his family was ever present. However, in August COVID-19 came into their home via a community outbreak, infecting two of their children.
This very special COVID readiness webcast was recorded at 10.30am on Monday 13 December when we welcomed Dr Hajkowicz and his 13-year-old son Tommy.
