Consumer Council

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting – February 2021

This was the first hui for 2021 so it was good to be able to catch up on the news and events that have been happening. 

Rhonda Dames, Project Manager Health Point, presented about to the Consumer Council about the structure, aims, achievements and goals of Health Point.  Health Point is a comprehensive health service which provides the ability to digitally access information about health care providers, referral expectations, services offered and common treatments in one place.  The Waikato DHB partnered with Health Point last year and their website can be found at https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/. 

Following on from the November hui Andrea Mockford and Laarnie Tagalong presented an update on the Releasing Time to Care project (a nurse-led programme which aims to improve processes for patients, whānau and to improve care) and positive changes put in place following patient surveys.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting – November 2020

Members heard about ‘Releasing Time to Care’ – a nurse-led programme which aims to improve processes for patients, whānau and to improve care.  Patients in hospital are asked to complete a survey regarding the care they received and this is analysed and improvement introduced as a result.  The discussion was around ensuring that the results are publically available so that the community can see what changes have occurred as a result of patient and whānau feedback.

An update on funding for a healthy communities initiative was provided, noting the focus is on wider community-led initiatives focusing on healthy families and children, moving away from targeted individual/group interventions.  It is intended to be a united effort for better health to work collaboratively with communities via co-design to help people to make healthier choices and live healthier lives.

The Consumer Council also heard from Dr. Ruth Large who provided a Telehealth update.  Feedback was provided to help to ensure that the process runs smoothly for patients when attending telehealth consultations.

Shortly, the Consumer Council will be recruiting for several members to join them.  They want to hear from those in our community who may not traditionally have a voice and want to contribute to how our health services are delivered in the future.  Please keep an eye on the website for further details.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting - October 2020 

This month the Consumer Council had the opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi with Riki Nia Nia, executive director Maori, equity and health improvement, for the first time. Through whanaungatanga, Riki shared about his role and the aims/goals of the department.  This was followed with in-depth discussions about various reports and plans that are in the process of being finalised. Riki will return to the Consumer Council in December to present the final drafts for further discussion.

Summary of Consumer Council Hui – September 2020 

This hui gave the Consumer Council a chance to hear what is happening in the localities work which has come from the Health System Plan, and what are the next steps.  The DHB talked about how they are working with Raukawa and implementing a Mahi Tahi approach to ensure the DHB are enabling locality leadership in the South Waikato. The Localities Planning Team are now preparing to start work in the North Ruapehu region.  The Council stressed the importance of action, as there has been a lot of planning, and the communities are ready to lead and realise community-informed change.

The Council also received an update on the Covid-19 response, and were able to discuss the current DHB Provider Arm restructure, and how it was hoped this would bring accountability and decision making closer together.

Summary of Consumer Council Hui – August 2020 

Members heard from Dr. Jesse Whitehead, sharing insight from his PhD into spatial equity of GP services in the Waikato DHB region.  Spatial equity fits into three groups – fair distribution, focus on outcomes or causes, needs based distribution resources.  The Consumer Council found the report to be interesting and while affirming what is currently known, is adding to the evidence base and will help to inform how best to plan and locate primary care services across the region.

The Council also discussed a range of projects that members are working on, as well as discussed their communication plan and how to create communication channels with communities and DHB staff across the region.+

Consumer Council meeting July 2020

The July hui of the Consumer Council was the first time in several months that the meeting was held in person.  It was great to see everyone and members discussed their experiences of COVID-19 and the Waikato DHB’s response.  The general consensus was that it is important to take away positive learnings from this event and to continue to engage effectively with communities.  We don’t want to lose some of the gains made, especially in terms of the local engagement that occurred.

Members heard about a project underway by the Midland Trauma Service who are working directly with patients of the service to gain knowledge about their experience of care at Waikato DHB.  From this feedback the service are working on making improvements to the patient and whānau experience.  The Consumer Council are keen to have further updates on this. 

There was also a discussion about the Waikato DHB Transport and Access Plan, the acknowledgement that there has been some progress with a new Taumarunui bus.  It was pointed out that this is as much about equitable access as it is about transport methods.

A discussion was held as to how the Consumer Council can raise their profile both within the Waikato DHB (to raise the voice of the consumer) and within their communities.  Further engagement on this matter is planned, including bringing the Communications team into the discussion.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting - June 2020

With the Director of Communications attending the hui updates were provided around the shifting to the recovery phase of Covid 19 and the channels of communication that have now been set in place.  There are means in place to ensure the community are updated the resumption of services.

The Consumer Council are looking to increase their profile within the community so there is an awareness of what they do and how the community can be involved.

With a successful outcome to the launch of a community bus in the Taumarunui area attention has been turned to replicating this type of response to transport needs in other rural areas.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting - May 2020

This month Dr Kevin Snee, Chief Executive Waikato DHB attended and updated the Council on matters around Covid 19 and the impact on patients and the services provided.  

Also attending was the Acting GM Strategy and Funding who provided an update on services and works happening around the hospital and the Waikato area. 

An update was provided on the rebuild of the Waikato DHB Mental Health and Addictions inpatient unit.  Patient and whānau engagement through all stages is critical to this work. 

A representative from Māori Equity & Health Improvement discussed the wok being done with the Māori clinicians during Covid and the screening tool that has been adjusted to work with kaumatua.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting - April 2020

The Consumer Council reflected on the effects that Level 4 was having on the community in relation to access to resources, medical assistance, testing etc.  They also discussed what is being done within our communities to help those in the community who need assistance.

An update was also provided by the Clinical Director Information Services as to what was happening within the DHB around care of patients, visitors, staffing levels during Level 4.  The Director also chairs the NZ Telehealth Leadership Group and updated on progress within the Telehealth area.

Summary of Consumer Council Meeting - March 2020

The Consumer Council met with the Pharmaceutical contract holders to discuss the effect on the community in relation to the costs of prescriptions for those most in need.  There are some discussions already underway, but opportunities to do more were raised.

The Consumer Council acknowledges their appreciation of all that the retiring Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Mo Neville, had provided in both the starting up of the Council and their work over the time they have been running.

An update on the Covid-19 preparations was provided to the Consumer Council in order to provide assurance that the DHB is doing all it can to be ready for whatever may eventuate.  All parties agreed that it is vital that accessible, simple information is provided to the community and that the Consumer Council can assist with this.

Consumer Council meeting - February 2020

The Consumer Council discussed the work that is happening around the localities project as part of the Waikato DHB transformation The project is in the early stages and the team are looking to ensure they are engaging with consumers at all stages. The Council stressed the importance of understanding the needs of different communities and ensure we are involving those who can’t access services. It was noted that there has been a lot of engagement and the Waikato DHB have been told clearly what the issues, needs and solutions are. We need to be working with community to support the successful initiatives that are already in place. Swift actions are now needed to improve equity and health outcomes.
The Consumer Council also heard from the Acting General Manager, Strategy & Funding who shared the department’s work plans for 2020, including mental health initiatives responding to the ‘Let’s Talk’ hui and working to partner with organisations who share the same goals to achieve better health outcomes for the community.
Finally, the Council are keen to escalate a matter to provide support for whānau within the paediatric wards.

Consumer Council meeting - November 2019

Members heard an update on the planning that is happening for the transformation project.  The priority across all work streams is working in partnership with Māori.  The team are looking to co-design solutions for communities using a locality model, looking at what is needed to keep people well in the Waikato community.  The Consumer Council noted there is alignment with their priority plan and they were supportive of the project – they called for urgent action to improve health outcomes, particularly for Māori.

The chief data officer for Waikato DHB also spoke about using data to inform improvements.  Council members noted the importance of consumers having access to their information for them and their whānau to be able to make informed decisions about their health.  Data security is critical with consumers needing to have control about how their data is used.

Consumer Council meeting - October 2019

This month the Consumer Council spent some time discussing the items that have been raised both in the Quality Forum and in the Consumer Council’s Priority Plan, to ensure there is always awareness of the priority issues and the mechanisms that are being used to drive change.  Particular focus was on the issues for Māori health and equity, and ensuring the top priorities continued to remain a focus.  The Consumer Council are looking for opportunities to align their priorities with other areas such as the Iwi Māori Council and the Disability Responsiveness Plan.

Consumer Council meeting - August 2019

This month, Justine Crittenden from Te Puna Oranga attended the hui to give an update on Ki te Taumata o Pae Ora/ Iwi Māori Health Strategy. The Council have been asked for their feedback on the equity framework which influences all work within the Waikato DHB. The Council is keen to continue to support this important piece of work.

Consumer Council Meeting – July 2019

• The Consumer Council welcomed Waikato DHB Commissioners, HQSC and ED team to this month’s hui.
• The Commissioners confirmed their commitment to continue to work with Consumer Council in a collaborative way.
• HQSC presented an update on the QSM progress, for which Waikato DHB is one of the pilot site.
• ED team came with the intention of getting the Council’s feedback on the current state of ED waiting room. A working group will be established to help with the ED waiting room improvement project.