The newsletter of the Health Care Consumers’ Association Inc.
 Issue 18 / 29 September 2026

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You can find the details of the positions on the HCCA website. If you are interested, please contact either me or Linda. We would be happy to answer any questions and talk through what the role involves

I also wanted to let you know that I set aside some time each week (on Thursdays) for one-on-one conversations with HCCA members. If there is an issue you would like to discuss, feedback you would like to share, or if you'd simply like to learn more about HCCA's work, I would be delighted to hear from you. If Thursdays don't suit, I'm happy to arrange another time and can meet members in person at a location that is convenient for you.

Lastly, I recently had the opportunity to attend the launch of the National Health Literacy Framework. If you haven’t already had a chance to read this, I would encourage you to do so. I believe that this is an important part of the national conversation and hope that we will see widespread adoption of this across the health sector.

Thank you for your ongoing support of HCCA!

Lachlan Atyeo
Executive Director

In this Issue

• Upcoming HCCA events
• Infrastructure Update
• Health Literacy Update
• Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Update
• Policy and Research Update
• Items of Interest

Upcoming HCCA Events

Thursday 22 October, 2pm – 3:30pm, Online via Zoom

Hear from literacy researchers, Saffron Howden and Dr Julie Ayre, about the skills and knowledge you need to check health claims from news, social media and AI in the 2026 digital landscape.

Every Thursday 2pm – 4pm, Starting 24 September 2026 @ Chifley Health & Wellbeing Hub

Come join Grow ACT's new free Mental Wellbeing Peer Support Group at Chifley!

If you're living with a chronic health condition or simply looking for a welcoming space to connect with others, this ongoing peer support group offers a safe and confidential place to share experiences and support your mental wellbeing.

3rd Tuesday of the month, 12:30pm-6pm @ Chifley Health & Wellbeing Hub

Making an Advance Care Plan means your loved ones and health care team will know your wishes if you can't speak for yourself. Book in for 1-on-1 support to write your plan with Canberra Health Services.

Consumer Participation Update

Infrastructure Update

Canberra Health Services has advised that they are planning to modernise selected lifts across the North Canberra Hospital campus. The work will be planned and delivered in stages.

Some lifts will be temporarily unavailable during construction. Alternative access arrangements and clear wayfinding will be provided during the upgrade works to support patients, visitors and carers.

The Health Infrastructure Consumer Reference Group (HICRG) met on 10 September 2026 and provided input into the design of the Inner South Community Health Centre. There is currently a Your Say consultation open for community feedback. If you would like to comment on neighbourhood impacts or other aspects of the project, you can submit feedback through the YourSay website.

The next HICRG meeting is scheduled for 19 November 2026.

Two new HICRG Infrastructure Advice Papers are now available on the HCCA website. We encourage you to read and download them using the links below.

HICRG Advice Paper – Consumer centred Design for Short to Medium Stay Residential Facilities August 2026

HICRG Advice Paper – Community Health Centre Design August 2026

— the Infrastructure Officer
(Bernadette)

Health Literacy Update

This fortnight, the team held consumer health literacy sessions with:

• residents of the Toolangi social housing complex
• clients of CARE Financial Services on Stretching Your Health Dollar
• Parkinson’s ACT and University of the Third Age (U3A) Cook on Advance Care Planning

We also ran training with:

• Canberra Health Services staff on Practical Ways to Support People with Disability
• OurDNA Community Engagement Team (Population Genomics) on Engaging with Pasifika Communities
• University of Canberra Occupational Therapy Students on Culturally Appropriate Health Care.

Next week, we’ll have a stall at the COTA ACT Seniors and Better Ageing Expo on Wednesday 23 September from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm & Thursday 24 September from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Old Bus Depot in Kingston. Stop by to have a chat with our team and pick up some free health resources!

Caption: Ivapene, Dr Thomas Bevitt and University of Canberra Occupational Therapy students.

We’re excited to share our new and improved Staying Safe in Hospital booklet! This booklet will help you get ready for a hospital stay, stay safe in the hospital and recover well at home.

We’ve heard your feedback on the old booklets and created a new all-in-one guide with up-to-date information, useful templates and a contact directory. A huge thank you to the HCCA members who helped us review and improve the booklet.

Paper copies will be available soon – grab one at our stall at the COTA expo, contact the HCCA office or download from the HCCA website.

— the Health Literacy team
(C and Ivapene)

Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Update

We'd like your help with developing a new resource. It aims to support conversations with a doctor or pharmacist about osteoporosis medicines to lower the risk of another fracture (broken bone). 

We're looking for adults aged 50 and over:

• Who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis (brittle bones)
• Have had a broken bone from a small fall or knock (minimal trauma fracture)
• Currently taking (or thinking about taking) medicine to lower the risk of another fracture. 
• Carers of someone aged 50+ who fits the description above.

 What to expect 

• Look over a first draft of the resource (about 30 minutes) 
• Join a 1-hour online focus group to talk through feedback.
• Review the final graphic design version by email (about 30 minutes) 

You'll receive a gift voucher as a thank you for your time. Expression of interest close 5pm on 25 September 2026
 
For more information or to get involved, email Teresa Vaccaro at [email protected] by Friday 25 September 2026.  

— the QUM team
(Kathryn, Nadia and Darcy)

Policy and Research Update

The Australian Senate has recently announced a select committee on Women’s Health. The committee is focused on some key issues including:

• Postpartum care (care after birth),
• Women’s pain,
• The impacts of gender on your experiences of care,
• Fertility and reproductive health, and
• Safe regulation of medical devices.

We plan to make a submission to the committee and would like to hear your thoughts and experiences on these issues.

You can learn more about the committee and review the terms of reference on the Parliament of Australia website.

If you are interested in contributing to HCCA’s submission, please contact Jessica Lamb via [email protected] or call 02 6230 7800 before Friday 25 September 2026.

— the Policy and Research team
(Jess, Scott, and Fiona)

Items of Interest

Applications are now open for community member positions on the ACT Board of the Medical Board of Australia. These paid roles give consumers the opportunity to help make decisions that put community and public safety first. Applicants must not be currently registered or have ever previously been registered as a medical practitioner. A comprehensive orientation program and ongoing training is provided. Applications close 27 September 2026.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Ahpra careers website.

The Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing (MACA) is inviting older people across the ACT to share their experiences through the MACA Seniors Month Community Survey.

The survey has been designed to better understand how older people in Canberra experience ageing well in their communities.

Your feedback will help MACA track key priorities, identify opportunities for improvement, and inform initiatives that support the wellbeing, safety, connectivity, and quality of life of older Canberrans.

The survey takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential. Results will be used solely to inform MACA's future priorities and advocacy efforts. This is an opportunity to ensure your voice is heard and reflected in decisions that affect our community.

You can complete the survey through this Qualtrics Survey page.

Today, September 17, is World Patient Safety Day. This day brings together governments, partners and communities to focus attention on patient safety and take action to reduce avoidable harm in health care. In 2026, the campaign focuses on safe care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with the slogan 'Safe care for life!'.

In recognition of the day, the National Carillon, John Gorton Building, Treasury Building, Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House and Questacon will be lit up in orange today.

Dementia Action Week is observed every year from 21 - 27 September 2026. This year, the theme for the week is 'It’s time to talk about dementia'. Dementia Australia estimates that almost half a million Australians are living with dementia today and over 1.7 million people are involved in their care. Every conversation can tell someone it’s safe to speak up, that they’re not alone, and connects them to support they didn't know exists.

Call 1800 100 500 for free and confidential advice, support, and expert information on dementia.

Each year on 29 September, World Heart Day is observed to raise awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The 2026 theme ʻDonʼt Miss a Beatʼ will continue raising awareness on the world's number one killer and highlighting the importance of recognising the signs and symptoms of CVD.

Give us Your Feedback

What did you think of this issue? Give us your feedback through this linked microsoft form.

Would you like to chat about any of these things? Please email us at [email protected] for your feedback. We would love to hear from you!

**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 Lachlan Atyeo.

Our mailing address is:
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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.

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