Engagement and Consultation

The NHHRC has developed an extensive engagement program to seek input from the public, frontline health workers, professional and consumer groups, and other interested people and organisations.

Submissions

The first stage was a public call for submissions, advertised nationally over two weekends in early April, with submissions due by 30 May 2008. The Commission has received well over 450 submissions from interested individuals and organisations.

Forums

In addition the Commission held a series of forums of 2-3 hours duration each in all capital cities and 5 rural and regional centres. Attendance at these forums was by invitation, and the Commission worked with consumer groups, professional bodies, unions and other organisations, to achieve broad engagement from a wide variety of people.

The Forums have been conducted with assistance from Elton Consulting.

The dates of the forums were as follows:

Hobart

  • 28 May - Frontline health worker forum
  • 29 May - Community forum
(there is to be a follow up meeting with state government agencies at a date to be set)
Dubbo
  • 2 June - Community forum
  • 3 June - government agencies
  • 3 June - Frontline health worker forum
Sydney/Parramatta
  • 4 June - Frontline health worker forum (at Parramatta)
  • 5 June - State government agencies
  • 5 June - Community forum (at Parramatta)
Alice Springs
  • 11 June - Community forum
  • 12 June - government agencies
  • 12 June - Frontline health worker forum
Cairns
  • 16 June - Community forum
  • 17 June - government agencies
  • 17 June - Frontline health worker forum
Brisbane
  • 18 June - Frontline health worker forum
  • 19 June - State government agencies
  • 19 June - Community forum
Melbourne
  • 24 June - Community forum
  • 24 June - government agencies
  • 25 June - Frontline health worker forum
Shepparton (Vic)
  • 26 June - Community forum
  • 27 June - government agencies
  • 27 June - Frontline health worker forum
Darwin
  • 2 July - Frontline health worker forum
  • 3 July - State government agencies
  • 3 July - Community forum
Perth
  • 7 July - Frontline health worker forum
  • 8 July - State government agencies
  • 8 July - Community forum
Geraldton (WA)
  • 8 July - Frontline health workers
  • 8 July - Community members
Adelaide
  • 9 July - Frontline health worker forum
  • 10 July - State government agencies
  • 10 July - Community forum
Canberra
  • 23 - 24 July – 2 days of meetings with national peak bodies
  • 23 July - Community Forum
  • 24 July - ACT Health executive
  • 24 July - Frontline health worker forum

Roundtable discussions

In addition the Commission has held special interest round table discussions on selected topics, with attendees invited from across the country.
  • Hobart, 28 May –Wellness and prevention
  • Sydney, 5 June – Caring for people with chronic and complex care needs
  • Brisbane, 19 June– Hospitals of the future
  • Melbourne, 24 June – Research
  • Melbourne 26 June – Health and health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Darwin, 3 July – Health and health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Perth, 8 July – Early start to life
  • Adelaide 10 July – Aged Care
The Commission will hold further targeted round table discussions and workshops on additional topics in July and August.

Working lunches

The Commission meets as a commission almost every week. At several these of these usual meetings in late May and June, the Commission took the opportunity to invite a range of people to have a working lunch with commissioners during their usual meeting lunch break.

Consumer research

The Commission is also seeking to make use of existing surveys and consumer research where these are available and relevant to the Commission's work.

Page currency, Latest update: 25 July, 2008