HCQ’s Annual Forum 2022

“Inspirational, connected group of passionate people making a difference in healthcare makes the HCQ forum excel. It is fabulous to see expansion and growth in consumer engagement and partnership practise across the state. Well done.” (Forum attendee)

It was wonderful to be finally reunited with so many consumers and health staff and to welcome new faces both online and on the Sunshine Coast for our long-awaited Annual Forum on 13-14 October 2022. 

Held across two days, it gave an opportunity for more than 200 people to gather face to face (and more on-line), to share insights and learn from others, with workshops, panel discussions, presentations and an evening networking event.  

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Consumers tour Seqwater Advanced Water Treatment Plant

In late August 2022, consumer representatives and HCQ network members, Anh Tho Tien and Rajini Eschwarachar Shankar joined our new Project Support Coordinator, Declan Winterton at Seqwater’s Luggage Point Advanced Water Treatment Plant for a tour of its recycled water facility.

The tour is a follow-up to the work HCQ undertook for Seqwater in 2021 which included Kitchen Table Discussions and a short-term communication co-design consumer reference group. Tho and Rajini were involved in the project and were keen to take the offer of a tour of the Seqwater facilities.

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A framework to help consumers and staff work together in healthcare quality improvement takes another step forward!

At the end of 2021, a small research team including two consumers (Elizabeth Miller and Bernadette Tanner), a PhD candidate, Ruth Cox, and her supervisors, Professor Matthew Molineux and Associate Professor Melissa Kendall from Griffith Uni and QEII Hospital shared their Capability Framework for Successful Partnerships in Healthcare Quality Improvement and promised to update readers on any new developments.

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Community input in a genomic health implementation program: perspectives of a Community Advisory Group

Congratulations to Queensland Genomics Community Advisory Group (CAG) on the publication of their article in Frontiers in Genetics online journal.

The article was co-authored by members of the Queensland Genomics Consumer Advisory group (the organisation Queensland Genomics has now wound down), including Dr Erin Evans, HCQ’s Board Chair and the Chair of Queensland Genomics CAG, and some members of HCQ’s network.

It highlights the work of consumers in partnering, leading and delivering consumer-led research about the mainstreaming of genomics to health systems.

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Shyla Mills steps down as CEO of Palliative Care Queensland

HCQ would like to share the news that Shyla Mills is stepping down as CEO of Palliative Care Queensland. She is relocating to Adelaide to be closer to family and to take on the role of CEO of Palliative Care South Australia.

Many consumers and health staff on our network have worked with Shyla over the past five and a half years as well as Anne Curtis, HCQ’s Engagement Consultant – Specific Projects, who leads our fee-for-service work.

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2022 Emergency Care Research Symposium 

The National Health and Medical Research Council’s statement about consumers in research states: “Consumer and community involvement is about research being carried out with or by consumers and community members rather than to, about or for them.”

Held over two days at Gold Coast University Hospital in August, the Emergency Care Research Symposium showcased an array of collaborative and innovative emergency care related research programs.

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HCQ involves nearly 4,000 people in Queensland Health’s COVID-19 response

At the end of July 2022, HCQ submitted our report on the COVID-19 additional funding we received at the start of the pandemic from Queensland Health’s Community Services Funding Branch.

During the past two and half years, this additional funding enabled HCQ  to support Queensland Health’s COVID-19 response in the following ways by enabling:

  • 3,974 health consumers, carers, health staff and NGO partners to engage with Queensland Health’s COVID-19 response (HCQ supported QH by finding consumers and often facilitating focus groups).

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Celebrating consumer appointments between January and July 2022

Congratulations to all the consumers and carers from HCQ’s network who have been appointed to consumer partnership roles on long-term, system-wide committees, focus groups or working groups as well as other activities with Queensland Health and other health organisations.

Between January and July this year we received a record number of expressions of interest – 253! – for consumer partnering roles and opportunities and a substantial increase in the number of consumers being accepted for these roles with 195 consumers accepted!

Consumers are now involved and influencing many different areas right across health including:

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