The newsletter of the Health Care Consumers’ Association Inc.
 Issue 24 / 27 January 2026

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The HCCA Executive Committee is delighted to welcome Lachlan Atyeo as HCCA’s new Executive Director. Lachlan will commence in the ED role on 2 February 2026. After 18 years in the role Darlene’s last day is 30 January 2026. Lachlan and Darlene will have a two-week handover period.

Lachlan’s formal qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management and a Master of Business Administration; qualifications that complement his practical experience in both the public and private sectors.

Lachlan’s community sector experience, his respect for the consumer voice, commitment to learning and innovation, and leadership experience make him a good fit to lead HCCA.

Darlene leaves the organisation in a very healthy position. We are well respected and ready to represent and support health care consumers into the future.

Linda Trompf

HCCA President

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to thank you all for your support during the year. It was really good to be able to celebrate our achievements at the AGM in November.

The HCCA team are taking some time off in the coming weeks. 2025 has been a big year where we have sustained high levels of activity across our programs. We recently enjoyed some time at the Botanical Gardens as part of our end of year celebrations.

Caption: HCCA Canberra Staff Christmas Picinic

The HCCA Office will close at 4pm on 23 December 2025 and reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. The office will be unattended during this time.
Finally, a date for your diary! The first Members Forum for 2026 will be on Wednesday 4 February. We hope you can join us. That will be Lachlan’s first week as Executive Director and a great opportunity for you to welcome him.

Darlene Cox
Executive Director

In this Issue

• Consumer Participation and Health Literacy Update
• Items of Interest

Consumer Participation and Health Literacy Update

Ivapene, C and Janine had a great time at Rock for Reconciliation, sharing resources and health information while enjoying some fantastic music.

Kate, Janine and Ivapene attended the ‘No More Boondah’ Program at Winnunga Nimmityjah’s end of year celebration. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the team and other services/organisations who support the program.

C was thrilled to co-facilitate a session for Advocacy for Inclusion’s International Day of People with Disability event, Halting Hate, Finding Kindness. This event looked at the impact of hate speech on people with disability and those around them. Some of the harms spoken about were poor mental health, isolation, violence and discrimination, including in health care and employment. A call to action will be published from the event.

— the Health Literacy team
(C and Ivapene)

I had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Australian Professional Association of Transgender Health conference in Hobart. The conference reinforced the importance of grassroots advocacy and how meaningful change can begin with just a few people putting pressure on organisations and decision makers. Throughout the conference, the importance of grass roots advocacy was reflected upon, "community driven advocacy is the advocacy that drives change." In a climate of increasing politicisation of trans and gender diverse (TGD) people, it was encouraging to see the positive changes that are happening, while also acknowledging that there is still significant work to be done. In Queensland, TGD young people have lost access to gender affirming care through the public system, placing immense pressure on the only LGBTIQ+ youth service in the state, Open Doors. Necho Brocchi from Open Doors stated, "No young teenager should have to attend a protest for their right to healthcare", yet this is the current reality in Queensland. These experiences highlighted why grassroots advocacy is more important than ever, as collective voices can shift policies and challenge harmful systems.

It was particularly powerful to see TGD people actively involved and often leading research, training and program development, ensuring work is created with the communities it directly affects. A quote that stayed with me was, "I have the clinical knowledge, but you are the expert on you". This reflects the importance of recognising consumers as experts in their own lives and practicing truly patient centered care. There were also strong discussions about not "settling for being better than elsewhere", but instead striving to provide the best possible healthcare. Working in community driven advocacy, these conversations were a reminder of the importance of continuing to analyse our healthcare systems, push back against pathologising narratives, and ensure services exist to serve patients first.

Thank you to Dr Vik Fraser from A Gender Agenda and to HCCA for supporting me to attend.

Evidence based resources, information and fact sheets: https://transcend.org.au/resources/evidence/

Review fact sheets: https://transjustice.org.au/resources/

- Av De Vries (Consumer Rep Coordinator)

Are you living with a life-changing condition, or caring for someone who is? Palliative Care ACT is hosting a workshop from 6-9pm on 28 January to offer you practical tools to improve the journey.

Dr Sammy Winemaker and Dr Hsien Seow of Waiting Room Revolution will teach you how to:

• Communicate clearly with healthcare providers
• Plan ahead while staying hopeful
• Navigate difficult conversations with clarity
• Keep your loved one’s values at the centre of every decision
• Move from feeling in the dark to feeling informed and in control

Tickets include a free workbook: Applying the 7 Keys of Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis.

All profits from tickets will support Palliative Care ACT’s work. If cost is a barrier for you, reach out to their office.

Buy your ticket here.

In January 2023, the MedicineWise (MWA) mobile application was transitioned from the former NPS MedicineWise to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission). MWA enables consumers and health professionals to track their medicines and access health and medicines information. The MWA was launched in June 2017.

The Commission has conducted a review of the app to assess:

• The uptake of the app by consumers and carers
• the utility of the app 
• the resources required to maintain the app 
• quality, safety and privacy risks 
• alternate products available in the market

Key findings were that usage and retention of the app were low, the value proposition is not unique nor competitive and that the effort required to maintain safety, quality, and privacy are significant, when considered in proportion to the low number of active users.
Based on the findings of this review the Commission has made the decision to decommission the MedicineWise mobile application at midday AEDT, Tuesday 10 February 2026.

The MWA will no longer have full functionality on users’ devices after the decommission date. Communications have been sent directly to users of the MWA along with guidance on how to find alternate products and instructions on how they can download or remove their data.

If you require further information, please email [email protected] 

Items of Interest

This Summer 2025–26 Edition of the Canberra Disability Review confronts a year marked by stalled reform and mounting barriers.

Click here, to read more.

New scrutiny of sunscreen testing has revealed that SPF results can vary widely between laboratories, even when products follow approved standards. An ABC investigation explains how SPF is measured, why some sunscreens fail independent tests, and what this means for consumer confidence in sunscreen labels.

To read the full ABC article, click here.

People living with diabetes want the public to better understand the realities of the condition, including how different types affect daily life and the challenges involved in managing it. Through firsthand accounts, this article highlights misconceptions, emotional and financial burdens, and the importance of empathy and support.

To read the full ABC article, click here.

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

© 2026 Health Care Consumers' Association Inc, All rights reserved. Edited by Darlene Cox.

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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.

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