The newsletter of the Health Care Consumers’ Association Inc.
Volume 12 / Issue 07 / 13 May 2025

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser

Some of you may already know that HCCA is part of the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Alliance. The QUM Alliance was created in 2023. Since 2023, it has grown from 8 to 16 organisations, increasing the opportunity to have a positive collective impact on medicines use. It brings together consumers, carers, GPs, specialist doctors, nurses, pharmacists, Aboriginal health workers and health practitioners, to work alongside researchers and education experts. Consumer resources for eczema and gout from the first round of grant funding have already reached more than 70,000 Australians! 
 
We are excited to let you know that the QUM Alliance has been awarded 2 new Australian Government consumer health literacy and health professional education grants. The grants are funded by the Australian Government through the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program. 

The new grants aim to increase consumer awareness of some of Australia's priority health issues over the next 3 years. You can read about the new grants in more detail here. These are the new topics and a short summary of the QUM issues to be addressed:

• Stroke recurrence (having another stroke after an initial stroke): Strokes are Australia’s 4th leading cause of death. In 2023, over 45,000 people experienced a stroke and almost 25% were recurrent strokes. Medicines can help minimise stroke recurrence. 
  
  
• Secondary fractures in osteoporosis: Osteoporosis affects over 1 million Australians 49 years and older. In 2023, 65% people of osteoporosis and osteopenia-related fractures were hospitalised. About half of these people experience another fracture. Medication can reduce the risk of secondary fracture prevention by 40-50%.  
  
  
• Evidence-based care in menopause: Menopause is often associated with significant impacts on quality of life. Consumers can experience a wide range of impacts including on sleep, mood, and bone density. Timely evidence-based management can reduce impacts and risk. However, there are a range of misconceptions and misinformation around medicines for menopause.  
  
  
• Depression in young people: around 75% of adult mental health disorders begin before age 24. Antidepressants are often prescribed for this group despite limited evidence for effectiveness.  effective. Improving planning and review for antidepressants is important. 

Recently I attended the launch of the Service Users Survey of Outcomes Satisfaction and Experience 2023. This lengthy title is a piece of research from ATODA, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Association of the ACT. The research looks at the experiences of people who use alcohol, drug, and tobacco services. It gives a picture of the challenges and successes of these services for people in the ACT. 

At HCCA we love consumer-centred research. Not only does this work focus on the experience of consumers using health services, but the research is guided by a consumer reference group of service users. Consumers are the subjects, and they are also the drivers of the research. 

The research is presented in an approachable, health literate way, which makes the results of the survey easy to understand. It’s a fantastic contribution to our collective body of knowledge about the needs and experiences of people using healthcare in the ACT. You can read a detailed report on the ATODA website, and there are also shorter pamphlets which have research highlights. 

Kate Gorman
Acting Executive Director

In this Issue

• Upcoming HCCA Events
• Infrastructure Update
• Policy and Research Update
• Health Literacy Update
• Chronic Conditions Network Update
• Consumer Involvement and Representative Opportunities
• Items of Interest

Upcoming HCCA Events

Thu 1st May 2025, 10:30 am AEST
EQUIPD Allied Health 

In this in-person workshop, led by a certified Exercise Physiologist Dylan Grubb, participants will gain valuable insights and practical tools for safely incorporating exercise into their daily routine, even while managing chronic conditions. Whether you're living with arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or any other long-term health condition, this session will provide you with the knowledge and strategies you need to move confidently and effectively. 

For more information on this or other free health seminars provided by the Health Care Consumers’ Association of the ACT contact: [email protected] or phone: 6230 7800.

Learn more and register for Managing Your Health - Exercising with Chronic Conditions and Pain 

Infrastructure Update

On 8 April, HCCA were invited on a guided tour of the future Palliative Care Unit site on the Canberra Hospital Campus. With building plans in hand, we were able to walk through the space and get a real sense of how the new unit is taking shape. It was an opportunity to visualise where key areas will be located and understand the size and flow of the environment that will soon support patients and their families. 

We also had a look at the existing courtyard, which is set to be enlarged and transformed as part of the redevelopment. To make the space more accessible, key updates will include shortening benches and brick walls to allow patient beds to move through the space more easily. The overall design of the courtyard will remain the same, but some furniture will be taken out to ensure there’s enough room for easy movement and comfort. 

The final plans for the new unit are nearly ready! We’re excited to stay involved and see everything come together. 

(Left to right: Ivapene (HCCA), Paul McLauchlan (CHS), C (HCCA), Thomas Roberts (CHS), Yelena (HCCA), Adele Stevens (HCCA consumer representative)  

— Yelena
(Infrastructure Project Officer)

Policy and Research Update

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is setting up a new acute palliative care unit. With the unit’s design almost finalised (you may have read about our team’s tour of the space), now CHS is looking for feedback on how the care in the unit should be delivered. 

You can learn more about what palliative care is on the Palliative Care ACT website. 

If you're interested in having your say, there are two ways to get involved: 

• Read the draft Model of Care and send us your feedback in writing. 

• Join a short online workshop with the HCCA policy team from 10 to 11 am on Tuesday, 6 May 2025. 

To take part or give feedback, please contact Jessica Lamb at [email protected] or call the HCCA office on 2630 7800. 

ACT Health has created a draft ACT Virtual Care Strategy and is now seeking community feedback. 

This strategy will help shape how virtual healthcare is delivered in the ACT. It looks at areas that need improvement and explores successful virtual care models used in other places. 

Virtual care is the use of technology to enable care, education, and information sharing between consumers, carers, and clinicians, or between clinicians from different locations. 

This consultation will also look at ideas such as: 

• A virtual hospital linked to the new North Canberra Hospital 
• Using HealthDirect as a partner for virtual services 
• Expanding mental health virtual care 
• Improving coordination with Southern NSW health services 

Your input can help shape the future of virtual healthcare in the ACT. 

If you are interested in reviewing the draft strategy and providing feedback, please contact Jessica Lamb by email: [email protected] or by phoning the HCCA office on 6230 7800.  

Have you got medicines that are expired or no longer needed? It is important that you dispose of these properly because: 

• putting medicines in your home bins or down the toilet can damage the environment 

• keeping unwanted medicines can lead to accidental poisoning of children, pets or making mistakes taking your medicines 

You can dispose of medicines for free at most community pharmacies through the Return Unwanted Medicines program. Just take your medicines in and speak to the pharmacist at the prescription counter. These medicines are not reused in any way and will be safely destroyed.  

You can recycle any empty medicine blister packs at HCCA’s offices or any pharmacy with a Pharmacycle bin. 

— the Policy and Research team
(Jess, Stephen, and Shivana)

Health Literacy Update

This fortnight, C teamed up with Michelle in a presentation about the work of the HCCA Chronic Conditions Network. Staff have been working on some online learning modules about self-advocacy and health care rights that are nearly ready to share. 

We have some space coming up from May onwards, if you’d like us to come and talk to your community group about how to get the most out of the health system. All our sessions are free. See what topics we can do and get in touch! 

We are currently asking health workers to complete our survey for the Disability and Health Literacy project to understand their knowledge and confidence working with people with disability and their supporters.  So far, we have not had many responses from health workers working in General Practice – if you know a GP, nurse, social worker, or receptionist in this space, please share our 10 minute survey with them! You can get the information and links on our website. 

— the Health Literacy team
(C and Ivapene)

This plan is about lowering your stroke risk and staying well when you have atrial fibrillation. It includes:

• helpful information about using anticoagulant medicines 
• room for your health professional to add notes or instructions
• prompts to help guide conversations about your care 

Download the Anticoagulants Care Plan from the Quality Use of Medicines website and use it as a tool to support your health. 

Chronic Conditions Network Update

We had our first online Chronic Conditions Network meeting for 2025 in late March. The focus topic was the HealthPathways database, run by Capital Health Network. HealthPathways is a database that over 700 GPs and Allied Health professionals use, in Canberra and the surrounding region, to find local referral information and patient resources as well as clinical information on medical conditions. 

This will be the third year in a row the Chronic Conditions Network have collaborated with the HealthPathways team to give Chronic Conditions Network organisations the chance to review and update pathways of information related to their specific conditions. We are so proud to continue this excellent partnership and we love ensuring that GPs are aware of the local organisations, community health and support programs and services available in this region. 

— Michelle
(Chronic Conditions Network Coordinator)

Consumer Involvement and Representative Opportunities

Please visit Consumer Opportunities on the HCCA website to learn more about, and nominate for, any of the following opportunities.

Closing Soon! Closing date: Friday, April 25 2025

Have you used public health services in the last 2 years? You might be interested in joining our planned care consumer reference group.

Canberra Health Services is working to improve how people access public health services in a program of work called Planned Care. 

The reference group will help HCCA to: 

• Understand the experiences of people using public health services 
• Advise on the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Planned Care project at Canberra Health Services 
• Advise on information and communication that CHS will provide to consumers who are using public health services 

We are looking for members who in the last 2 years have: 

• Had a public outpatients appointment at Canberra Health Services
• Had elective surgery done at Canberra Health Services 
• Have been on a public waitlist in the last 2 years for an outpatients appointment at Canberra Health Services. 

You can read the Terms of Reference for the group here 

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities  

Closing Soon! Closing date: Friday, April 25 2025

The University of Canberra is looking for 3 more consumer representatives to join the Community Partnership Group of the Clinical Research Rehabilitation and Translation group. This group launched in 2024, to raise the quality and community relevance of research at the University. Community Partnership group members are people with lived experience or carers of someone with a health condition or experience of clinical care or rehabilitation. Researchers will pitch a research idea or ask for the group to discuss a grant funding application, or results of a study or something that needs community perspectives. Members share their views, experience and opinions on these research ideas, research project designs, outcomes, or suggestions on how to make research more accessible for community members.  

HCCA is involved in creating an educational video to help older adults make informed decisions about using of antidepressants. We would love to hear from you if you are:

• 65yrs + 
• based in Sydney 
• Have current or previous lived experience as a consumer or carer, of using antidepressants for 6 months or more. 

This video is being produced by the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance and funded by the Australian Government under the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program. We expect the shoot to take place on one day and will take about 2-3 hours of your time. The filming is planned to take place in Sydney in April 2025 on one of the following weeks: 

• Week starting on 14th April
• Week starting on 22nd April 
• Week starting on 28th April

All participants will be offered a gift voucher as a thank you for participating. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Nadia Owuor at [email protected] 

Items of Interest

The Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) is seeking two consumer representatives to join the new Operational and Quality Improvement Committee. Lived experience representatives will be provided with a contribution fee for their involvement.

If you or someone you know is a stroke survivor who would be interested, please find the expression of interest form linked below, by Wednesday
30 April 2025

If you have any queries or would like to discuss this opportunity, please contact Richard Lindley at:  [email protected].

Friday 30 May, 2:30pm

Venue: EQUIPD Allied Health, 70 Maclaurin Crescent, Chifley ACT 2606 

Daniel Lillicrap is hosting a cyber security presentation for the 30^th of May for anyone who is interested in improving their personal online security. Daniel Lillicrap runs Digital GP, which provides a range of IT services to seniors. Daniel was recently recognised with a COTA Positive Ageing Award for his work in supporting digital literacy, online safety, and social connection among older adults. He partners with retirement communities, community clubs, and other organisations to deliver both individual and group-level support.

If you would like to learn more about Digital GP, you can contact them at (02) 6100 3003

If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Hannah Greenwood at [email protected] 

**FREE interpreter services available over the phone via the Australian Government’s Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450**

© 2025 Health Care Consumers' Association Inc, All rights reserved. Edited by Kate Gorman.

Our mailing address is:
70 Maclaurin Crescent Chifley ACT 2606
02 6230 7800

Consumer Bites is the newsletter of the Health Care Consumers' Association. Consumer Bites provides a small snippet of health related articles our members might find interesting to consider and analyse. The HCCA does not endorse any opinions or the claims contained within the articles.

Want to stop getting these emails? Unsubscribe from this list.