14 June 2016
Consumer voices important

The West Coast DHB Consumer Council is looking for more representatives to provide advice to the West Coast health system.

The Consumer Council was established in 2014 as a way for consumers to have a strong voice in planning, designing and delivering services on the West Coast.
The Consumer Council is invited to participate in, and comment on, many of the West Coast DHB initiatives to enhance a patient's experience.

The council is made up of a range of people, with diverse backgrounds and areas of interest. Their brief includes:

· Enhancing the collection and use of feedback from a service user’s perspective

· Assisting to improve the organisation’s information sharing responsibilities with service users

· Contributing to the design or re-design of services and/or facilities by the DHB

· Working in partnership with the DHB to improve the quality of the patient journey

· Working to remove barriers for consumers whilst enhancing safe service provision

The Consumer Council meets approximately two-monthly in Greymouth, generally for around two hours. Council members are appointed for two years, and need to have a general understanding of West Coast health issues. A young person with an interest in health issues would be particularly welcome, Chair Barbara Holland says.

“Consumer Council members are now routinely asked to participate in working groups. That way we can ensure real feedback for DHB planners and other staff in terms of what is working well, as well as what could do with improvements, from a patient point of view,” she says.

Expressions of interest should be sent to Consumer Council Admin Support julie.bell@westcoastdhb.co.nz by the end of June.
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