Current Projects

Working towards Consumer Centred Care There is a lot of talk about “patient or consumer centred care”. The concept is a fundamental driver for change in the health care system. What can we learn from consumers and their experiences both positive and negative? What needs to change for health care to be truly patient centred? This DVD and Facilitator Guide have been designed to be used by: anyone working within the health care system students…

A Network meeting will be held at HCA on 22 May 2013. We hope that it will be well attended, as the key component of the meeting will be the possible creation of a Consumer Advocates Community of Practice and how this may be implemented and of what benefit to the Advocates it would be. This basic definition provides more information and it will be discussed further at the next meeting. “A community of practice…

HCA recently responded to SA Health’s invitation to respond to the Draft Plan. A copy of the submission is available here. In summary, HCA supports the introduction of the State Public Health Plan. HCA notes that this is the first State Public Health Plan under the South Australian Public Health Act, 2011. Overall, the plan provides for much ‘encouraging local councils to consider actions’ rather than specific requirements for action on public health. The Chief…

The Health Consumers Alliance of SA (HCA) thanks those consumers who responded to our request for information about using the recently installed inpatient Bedside Entertainment Services (TV) in some SA Health hospitals. These included the metropolitan hospitals (Flinders Medical Centre, Lyell McEwin, Modbury, Noarlunga, Royal Adelaide, Repatriation, Queen Elizabeth and Women’s and Children’s Hospitals) and some country hospitals (Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla Hospitals). HCA had previously been briefed by the Chief…

Thank you those who attend the HCA Members Forum on the Review of Non-hospital Based Services. HCA is disappointed that the SA Government has again undertaken a review without engaging consumers and the community upfront (in contrast to the approach recommended by Better Together: Principles of Engagement and the Citizen Centric Community of Practice being promoted by the Department of Premier and Cabinet). To achieve the savings set by the State Cabinet, HCA believes that…

Our recent Introduction to Consumer Advocacy training days were very well received and attended. In addition to providing information to new and experienced consumer advocates, the days were also an opportunity for HCA staff and the 25 attendees to network and learn from other people’s experiences with the health system and in their role as a consumer advocate. We thank everyone who came along for their attendance and participation – it was good to meet…

Public Education About Real Life Stories - towards acceptance and understanding of mental illness Volunteer educators now available to speak to work, community, professional and any other group of people who would like to have a better understanding of mental illness. Who are we? We are a group of individuals who: know what its like to live with a mental illness care for someone with a mental illness What do we do? We share our…

The Office of the Chief Psychiatrist and Mental Health Policy is developing the first statewide policy dealing with restraint and seclusion when working with people who have, or appear to have, a mental illness in public health services. HCA, like the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, look forward to the day when such a policy ‘won’t be required’. In the interim, we look forward to hearing of the reduced used of seclusion and restraint and…

Improving Health Literacy In Seniors With Chronic Illness By Menzies Centre for Health Policy, published in Australian Policy Online This report examines health literacy in detail. How do patients and carers learn about disease management? How do they develop their self-management abilities and learn to navigate complex health systems? What is the patient and carer experience of managing chronic disease? The rising burden of chronic disease in Australia has put the health system under great…

HCA welcomed the development of the draft Framework for Active Partnership and the attempt to “move beyond the talk”.  We noted, however, a number of considerable deficiencies with the draft Framework. The development of the draft Framework for Active Partnership is a response, in part, to the recommendations in the Health Performance Council’s “Reflecting on Results: Review of Public Health System’s Performance for 2008-10 (December 2010)”. The draft Framework for Active Partnership also sought to…