We understand better health outcomes are achieved when consumers are consulted in aspects of policy and health care decisions.
Feedback is one of the best ways we can grow as an organisation and ensure our services and care are best meeting the needs of our community.
Our consumer engagement committees give former patients, their loved ones and carers the opportunity to provide ideas and advice on how to improve our hospital learned from their own hospital experience. We value this information and use it to guide future decision-making and service development.
Eligibility for consumer engagement committees
Committee members can feel valued and be part of a group where their opinions are listened to and appreciated. Their ideas and advice may be used to make improvements to clinical services, facilities, policies and processes. Members can feel a sense of pride in knowing their contribution has helped to benefit the experience of future patients.
Benefits
We are currently seeking consumer representatives to join one of the various committees established by the hospital to ensure it is meeting the Australia Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s Standards.
The consumer representatives provide a consumer voice and perspective to activities and initiatives being undertaken by our standard committees.
The committees are designed to ensure the hospital delivers safe, high-quality and patient centred care.
Each committee focuses on a different standard, including:
- clinical outcome review
- partnering with consumers
- preventing and controlling infections
- medication safety
- comprehensive care, which also includes falls, pressure injuries, nutrition and end of life
- communicating for safety
- blood management
- recognising and responding to acute deterioration.
We are seeking consumers who have a desire to enhance the patient experience at our hospital. Ideally they will have been a patient in the hospital or supported a family member or friend during their hospital stay.
Requirements
Committee membership is on a volunteer basis, and we appreciate everyone contributing their time. We ask members to:
- Attend a quarterly meeting for 90 minutes, the location will change each meeting between St John of God Berwick Hospital, St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital and St John of God Langmore Centre. Meetings can also be held online via MS Teams.
- Maintain confidentiality.
- On occasion, engage in pre-reading prior to meetings.
About the consumer engagement committees
The groups meet every 3 months to review and provide input into:
- Hospital planning including quality improvement plans, patient safety and quality, strategic and operational plans.
- Feedback on way-finding, signage and parking, so that patients and visitors can find their way around our hospitals.
- Reviewing marketing collateral, ensuring it is easy to understand and read.
- Personal experiences within the hospital and advising on how they are managed, including complaints, patient care and waiting times.
Our committees
We have 2 committees which seek new members:
Partnering with Consumers Committee
- Committee members discuss decision making about the care, service delivery, health policies and planning in which the hospitals provide.
- Meets quarterly for 90 minutes during business hours.
Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Committee
- Committee members discuss patient safety procedures to ensure that clinical and quality outcomes are upheld and improved by the hospitals.
- Meets quarterly for 90 minutes during business hours.
Application and appointment process
We are seeking applications from willing participants who would like to join one or more of our various committees as a volunteer consumer representative.
To apply please fill in the form below.
Applicants who have been shortlisted will be contacted and an interview arranged.
For more information on the selection criteria, application process, to receive information in a different format or for assistance, please contact:
Consumer Engagement Coordinator, South East Melbourne hospitals.
Telephone: 03 8784 5009
Email: [email protected]