Mount Isa Hospital is opening its doors to consumers on Friday July 19 to attract more consumer representatives to partner with the Health Service.
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The open day will start at 10am under the Healing Tree on Camooweal Street by Mount Isa Hospital, with MobFM supplying music, talks from NWHHS Board Chair Paul Woodhouse and CEO Lisa Davies Jones followed by a morning tea, and a tour of the hospital until noon.
Senior Project Manager for Consumer Engagement, Liz MacIntyre said partnering with consumers has become a major focus in Hospital and Health Services nationwide.
"Partnering with consumers, and involving them in the planning, design, delivery and monitoring of our work in the health service, helps both us and them. It's the most effective way for us as a Hospital and Health Service, to understand how our communities want health services delivered, so we can best meet their needs, and work in partnership with them, through consumer representatives, to achieve it," Ms MacIntyre said.
She cited the new Julia Creek Hospital and model of care as an example of successful consumer and community engagement, and the Nurse Practitioner trial in Karumba to solve the problem of the community's need for a GP-type service.
"We have listened to our consumers in both those scenarios and have designed buildings and services that the community is happy with," she said.
"We need to do that at every level, from designing a patient pamphlet to designing a building.
"The consumers are the ones who are expert in the use of our health services, and we need their lived experience to help us continually improve safety and quality for our patients."
Ms MacIntyre said consumers from a diversity of backgrounds are needed for full representation of North West communities.
"We need to hear from people who wouldn't normally speak up about health matters, who may face barriers to accessing healthcare, and we're aiming to provide a safe place for them to do so, in the company of other consumers," she said.
Consumer meetings can take place in yarning circles, around kitchen tables, at a café, or at the hospital, and can be informal get togethers or formal committee meetings.
"We have established consumer advisory groups in each of our communities, and for specialties such as maternity, mental health, palliative care and renal services. Our consumer representatives come from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and social situations, and we value all of them for their experiences which they are willing to share with us."