8 Dec 2017
Expression of Interest – Carer representative for the Mental Health (MH) Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Quality Oversight Group arising from the Barrett Commission of Inquiry Recommendation 2.
Closing date: Monday 15 January 2017
Queensland Health’s Community Services Funding Branch is seeking an additional carer representative for the Mental Health Non-Government Organisation Quality Oversight Group.
About the committee and project
The Commission of Inquiry Report into the closure of the Barrett Adolescent Centre was provided to the Queensland Premier on 24 June 2016. The Commission made six recommendations, including Recommendation 2: That Queensland Health’s Service Agreements with Non-Government Organisations be carefully drawn to ensure they deal explicitly and sufficiently with matters such as:
- minimum standards/or staff employed to work in a particular facility;
- which entity may prescribe and monitor compliance with those standards;
- which entity may prescribe the extent and quality of the services to be provided by the NGO;
- which entity may monitor the quality of service delivery and give ongoing directions about it;
- termination of the service agreement, whether by effluxion of time, for breach of contract, because of policy changes, or any other reason.
The Queensland Government accepted all six recommendations in its response to the Commission of Inquiry Report. In accepting Recommendation 2, Queensland Government agreed to ‘review the Service Agreement arrangements for all Non-Government Organisations providing health services. This review, Queensland Health Review of NGO Service Agreement Report was endorsed by the Barrett Commission of Inquiry Steering Committee on 6 July 2017.
The report made six recommendations which will be progressively adopted into Queensland Health’s contracting arrangements with NGOs. The recommendations focus on operational enhancements and quality standards across all funding streams to ensure efficient, effective and safe services for health consumers.
The Mental Health NGO Quality Oversight Group has been formed to provide guidance and advice throughout the implementation of the Queensland Health NGO quality framework in relation to funded mental health services.
Read More >
1 Sep 2017
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 .
1 Sep 2017
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.
1 Sep 2017
If you are after information and support from women, please visit the Australian Pelvic Mesh Support Group.
1 Sep 2017
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.
30 Aug 2017
Closing date: midday Thursday 7 September 2017
The Department of Health is committed to ongoing engagement and participation of health consumers following the work done implementing the Government response to the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry report. See the youth mental health website for further information: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/improvement/youthmentalhealth
As part of the 2017-18 State Budget,Government committed more than $68 million over four years for capital works to deliver a new statewide Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility (AETF) at The Prince Charles Hospital; two new Step Up Step Down Units (SUSDU) in north Brisbane and south Brisbane; and refurbishment for two new adolescent day program (DP) spaces at Logan and the Gold Coast.
To ensure progression of this next stage of work the Department of Health in collaboration with key Government agencies and health consumers is establishing governance and consultation processes that offer a range of opportunities for involvement: an overarching committee, a project oversight group, and a co-design consultation.
(more…)
27 Jun 2017
April – May 2017
Youth Mental Health Forums are happening across Queensland and registrations are now open. For more information and to register, please go to the Queensland Health website
At the forums you can:
- Be updated on the implementation of the Government response to the six recommendations made by the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry report.
- Contribute to the conversation about the model of service for the new statewide Adolescent Extended Treatment Facility and the continuum of services being developed for adolescents and young people with severe and complex mental health issues across Queensland.
- Learn about the role consumers and carers and the Department of Education and Training are playing in implementing the Government response.
Leonie Sanderson, our HCQ Engagement Advisor, is attending each forum and consumer and carer representatives who have been involved with the Barrett project so far will also be in attendance. We encourage you to attend and come up and say hello to us! Consumers and carers are vital to this process and their view is essential in the development of these new services.
Queensland Adolescent and Young People Mental Health Services Mapping Survey
In relation to Recommendation 5 the Government has commissioned an independent review of the transition and alignment between adolescent/youth and adult mental health services in Queensland as outlined in the Government response. This review is being conducted by Health Outcomes International (HOI) and the Synergy Nursing and Midwifery Research Institute.
We are seeking your involvement in the survey process which will be open until Friday 26 May 2017.
Complete the survey >>
15 May 2017
February 2017
Last week the Consumer and Carer representatives on the Steering Committee gave a presentation about the stories of young consumers. From this presentation, we will develop a consumer and carer designed education and training package designed for the staff at the new facilities, as well as a range of other applications for mental health and other staff. This will include a range of (anonymous) stories, developed for training purposes. Through your contributions to our story snapshots and templates online the Consumer and Carer representatives were able to share the lived experience of severe and complex youth mental illness. If you didn’t get the chance to do this, the templates are still open:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yourlivedexperience
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/livedexperiencecarersfamily
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/storytemplate
Having your say on Education and its role in Severe and Complex Youth Mental Health
A consumer and carer-designed survey has been developed to explore the connection of education to recovery for young people with Severe and Complex Youth Mental Health. Health Consumers Queensland and Education Queensland will also be working together to facilitate further consumer and carer consultation.
The new survey is here (sorry for survey overload!)
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mhandeducation
January 2017
Preliminary Model of Service open for consultation!
Implementation of Recommendation 4, to build a new state-wide, extended treatment facility with access to an integrated education/vocational program in south-east Queensland for young people with severe and complex mental health issues, commenced last
Following nominations from Hospital and Health Services, Department of Education and Training and consumers and carers, a co-design process was undertaken to inform a preliminary Model of Service (MOS) for the new facility. The MOS has now been released on the COI Implementation Team website at www.health.qld.gov.au/improvement/youthmentalhealth/model-of-service/ and will remain open for comment until Friday, 17 February 2017. You are invited to provide comments on the MOS to inform further development and encourage other interested parties (government, non-government and individuals) to do so also.
If you would like to contribute to a group response for consumers and carers, please contact us by emailing leonie.sanderson@hcq.org.au
Do you have a story to tell about your experience with youth mental health services? Our Consumer Reference Group has developed resources to help you share your experiences and to tell your story.
If you’re a young person with lived experience of mental health services, click here to go to the consumer snapshot questions.
If you’re a family member or carer of a young person with a mental health issue, click here to go to the family/carer snapshot questions.
We’ve also prepared a storytelling template that helps you to tell your story. You can access it here.
We have now held a total of 3 Consumer Reference Group meetings. These meetings are held monthly in Brisbane and we can also telelink people in via phone if necessary. The next meeting will be held on 11 January 2017. If you are interested in connecting with other consumers and carers who have an interest in the implementation of this project, please email Leonie on leonie.sanderson@hcq.org,au
