Consumer opportunities Tā te kiritaki whai wāhi
Read more about the current open opportunities for consumers to get involved.
We support consumers being actively involved in decision-making about their health, at all levels.
Health services, including hospitals, government agencies and other services, require consumer representatives to co-design the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of health services.
Below are the current open opportunities for consumers to get involved.
Please note we publish these opportunities on behalf of a range of different agencies and groups in the health sector. Please contact each provider directly using the information provided in the listing.
Do you have an opportunity you think Consumer health forum Aotearoa members should know about?
If so, please submit an expression of interest for consumer and whānau representatives.
Current opportunities
The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) is now accepting expressions of interest for people wanting to be a part of a Learning Working Group to co-create a review of the National Credentialling Framework for pelvic floor reconstructive, urogynaecological and mesh revision and removal procedures.
About you
We are seeking three consumer representatives who bring lived experience and a commitment to working together in a collaborative, inclusive and culturally responsive way.
Consumer representatives may bring direct personal experience of surgical mesh procedures and their impacts or established connections to the wider consumer community through advocacy and knowledge of pelvic and women’s health.
About the role
The Learning Working Group will include three consumer representatives, two clinical professionals, someone involved in the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora credentialling process and someone from Health Quality Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora as a quality expert. It will also include the two Ministry leads for the review.
Together with the members of this group, you will:
- design the review plan
- develop evidence collection tools
- make sense of evidence gathered
- shape the review findings and recommendations.
The Ministry will support the Learning Working Group with meeting administration, project management, evidence collection and analysis, and writing. This collaborative approach will enable the National Credentialling Framework to be considered from multiple angles, strengthening the quality of the review.
Time commitment
Your participation in the Learning Working Group will involve attendance to approximately eight meetings as well as time spent developing and reviewing documents. We estimate this will add up to approximately 70 hours (or 9 days) spread over late January to the end of June 2026, which will involve online meetings, out-of-meeting review time, and, we are hoping, to have at least one in-person session. As a part of the Learning Working Group, you will be asked to place a high priority on participation in the review process and to make a good faith and best effort to attend all meetings and undertake review and feedback work.
Available support
Orientation and background information will be provided to support your participation. There are also opportunities for ongoing support across the duration of the review. We will also be taking time to reflect, learn from and improve the Learning Working Group processes as they unfold to ensure they are inclusive and productive for everyone.
Reimbursement
Consumers will be paid in alignment with Policy for consumer and whānau engagement, fees and reimbursement | Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora.”
How to apply
Please complete this online form by 10am Tuesday, 27 January 2026
If the form is not accessible or you prefer another format (such as a word document or video application), please email Jade.Cincotta@health.govt.nz.
We will review all applications and email everyone who applied with the outcome no later than 5pm on Monday 2 February 2026. If you are successful, this email will include the first meeting date, with approximately two weeks provided to allow for scheduling.
Other ways to take part in the review
If you are interested in the review, but do not have the time to commit to the Learning Working Group, please indicate your interest by emailing Jade.Cincotta@health.govt.nz.
We can find other ways for you to be included in the consultation process for the review as well as receiving regular progress updates.
We’re inviting you to be part of a national project to improve recovery for people after major trauma, such as those who have sustained brain, chest or spinal cord injuries, multiple limb fractures and amputations.
Why this matters
Many people who leave hospital after a major trauma don’t receive the support they need to recover well. This is especially true for Māori and Pacific peoples, who face more barriers to accessing rehabilitation and recovery services. We want to change that.
This project – The path of making things right: Te ara whakatika – is about making sure everyone (no matter where they live or who they are) receives the right care, at the right time, in the right way. It’s led by the Trauma National Clinical Network, in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, ACC and Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora.
What we’re doing
We’re working with trauma services, rehabilitation providers, kaupapa Māori services, patients (tūroro), and whānau to co-design better support after injury.
Together, we will listen to your experiences and local knowledge to:
- strengthen services using Māori models of health (hauora)
- focus on what matters most to patients and whānau
- build solutions that are community-led and culturally grounded.
Why we need patients and whānau
Your experience matters, and we welcome your involvement. As a patient or whānau member, we invite you to apply to join the project. Opportunities to engage include:
- advising local project teams to help shape services that truly reflect what people need after trauma by sharing ideas and giving feedback to teams
- joining the expert advisory group alongside clinicians, advisors and consumers that guide the project strategy and support project findings into widespread system improvement. The group is a safe space where the unique contributions of all members are recognised and respected
- sharing your experience of serious injury as a patient or whānau member, either positive or negative.
You don’t need any special training for these roles, just a willingness to share your story and tell us what works well and where improvements could be made. Your voice will help make care more respectful, accessible, and effective for others.
Payment
You will be paid for your time. We follow the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission guidelines about how much to pay members of advisory groups.
Policy for consumer and whānau engagement fees and reimbursement
How to apply
- To express your interest or to learn more email us at help@majortrauma.nz
- First learning session: 25 February 2026 (one of three online learning sessions we plan to hold throughout the year).
Applications close on 10 February 2026
Let’s work together to make recovery better for everyone.
Read more about the project: The path of making things right: Te ara whakatika
Saman Hazir, PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury is seeking participants to be interviewed for his doctoral research project: ‘Expectations, Experiences, and Equity: How do lived experience partners influence mental health care in Aotearoa New Zealand?’
The research is supervised and supported through the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury.
The participants
Participants should have personal lived experience of mental health and/or addiction challenges and recovery, and who have used that lived experience in a professional capacity (such as in advisory, governance, or service design roles) for at least six months, either currently or in the past.
Māori lived experience advisors are warmly encouraged to participate, as their perspectives are especially important for understanding how equity, cultural responsiveness, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations can be advanced within mental health care.
Pacific participants are also welcome to take part.
What’s involved
Each participant will be asked to take part in one interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. Interviews can be conducted either in person or online, depending on what is most convenient.
Participants will receive a summary of the research findings and may provide feedback if they wish.
More about the research and how to get involved
Read the Letter - Invitation to learn more (DOCX 37KB)
If you are interested in participating please email: saman.nazir@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Have you had a broken hip or cared for someone with a broken hip?
The Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (the Registry) collects information about what happens to older people who break their hip, both during their time at hospital and when they go home. This information is used to improve the hospital care for people who break their hip.
The Registry is looking for people to join their National Governance Committee.
The participants
Consumers and whānau should have experience with a hip fracture or caring for a person with a hip fracture.
What’s involved
The NZ Hip Fracture Registry is looking for consumers to:
- join their national committee;
- tell their story to share in print and video at education conferences;
- link with other consumers in New Zealand and Australia via online Zoom catch-ups.
More about this opportunity and how to get involved
Read the EOI – Join the New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry Consumer Movement (PDF 107KB)
Read more information and complete the EOI form
To express your interest, email nicola@nzoa.org.nz
EOI: Co-create a review of the National Credentialling Framework: Pelvic floor reconstructive, urogynaecological and mesh revision and removal procedures
The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) is now accepting expressions of interest for people wanting to be a part of a Learning Working Group to co-create a review of the National Credentialling Framework for pelvic floor reconstructive, urogynaecological and mesh revision and removal procedures.
About you
We are seeking three consumer representatives who bring lived experience and a commitment to working together in a collaborative, inclusive and culturally responsive way.
Consumer representatives may bring direct personal experience of surgical mesh procedures and their impacts or established connections to the wider consumer community through advocacy and knowledge of pelvic and women’s health.
About the role
The Learning Working Group will include three consumer representatives, two clinical professionals, someone involved in the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora credentialling process and someone from Health Quality Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora as a quality expert. It will also include the two Ministry leads for the review.
Together with the members of this group, you will:
- design the review plan
- develop evidence collection tools
- make sense of evidence gathered
- shape the review findings and recommendations.
The Ministry will support the Learning Working Group with meeting administration, project management, evidence collection and analysis, and writing. This collaborative approach will enable the National Credentialling Framework to be considered from multiple angles, strengthening the quality of the review.
Time commitment
Your participation in the Learning Working Group will involve attendance to approximately eight meetings as well as time spent developing and reviewing documents. We estimate this will add up to approximately 70 hours (or 9 days) spread over late January to the end of June 2026, which will involve online meetings, out-of-meeting review time, and, we are hoping, to have at least one in-person session. As a part of the Learning Working Group, you will be asked to place a high priority on participation in the review process and to make a good faith and best effort to attend all meetings and undertake review and feedback work.
Available support
Orientation and background information will be provided to support your participation. There are also opportunities for ongoing support across the duration of the review. We will also be taking time to reflect, learn from and improve the Learning Working Group processes as they unfold to ensure they are inclusive and productive for everyone.
Reimbursement
Consumers will be paid in alignment with Policy for consumer and whānau engagement, fees and reimbursement | Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora.”
How to apply
Please complete this online form by 10am Tuesday, 27 January 2026
If the form is not accessible or you prefer another format (such as a word document or video application), please email Jade.Cincotta@health.govt.nz.
We will review all applications and email everyone who applied with the outcome no later than 5pm on Monday 2 February 2026. If you are successful, this email will include the first meeting date, with approximately two weeks provided to allow for scheduling.
Other ways to take part in the review
If you are interested in the review, but do not have the time to commit to the Learning Working Group, please indicate your interest by emailing Jade.Cincotta@health.govt.nz.
We can find other ways for you to be included in the consultation process for the review as well as receiving regular progress updates.
EOI: Join 'The path of making things right: Te ara whakatika' quality improvement project
We’re inviting you to be part of a national project to improve recovery for people after major trauma, such as those who have sustained brain, chest or spinal cord injuries, multiple limb fractures and amputations.
Why this matters
Many people who leave hospital after a major trauma don’t receive the support they need to recover well. This is especially true for Māori and Pacific peoples, who face more barriers to accessing rehabilitation and recovery services. We want to change that.
This project – The path of making things right: Te ara whakatika – is about making sure everyone (no matter where they live or who they are) receives the right care, at the right time, in the right way. It’s led by the Trauma National Clinical Network, in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, ACC and Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora.
What we’re doing
We’re working with trauma services, rehabilitation providers, kaupapa Māori services, patients (tūroro), and whānau to co-design better support after injury.
Together, we will listen to your experiences and local knowledge to:
- strengthen services using Māori models of health (hauora)
- focus on what matters most to patients and whānau
- build solutions that are community-led and culturally grounded.
Why we need patients and whānau
Your experience matters, and we welcome your involvement. As a patient or whānau member, we invite you to apply to join the project. Opportunities to engage include:
- advising local project teams to help shape services that truly reflect what people need after trauma by sharing ideas and giving feedback to teams
- joining the expert advisory group alongside clinicians, advisors and consumers that guide the project strategy and support project findings into widespread system improvement. The group is a safe space where the unique contributions of all members are recognised and respected
- sharing your experience of serious injury as a patient or whānau member, either positive or negative.
You don’t need any special training for these roles, just a willingness to share your story and tell us what works well and where improvements could be made. Your voice will help make care more respectful, accessible, and effective for others.
Payment
You will be paid for your time. We follow the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission guidelines about how much to pay members of advisory groups.
Policy for consumer and whānau engagement fees and reimbursement
How to apply
- To express your interest or to learn more email us at help@majortrauma.nz
- First learning session: 25 February 2026 (one of three online learning sessions we plan to hold throughout the year).
Applications close on 10 February 2026
Let’s work together to make recovery better for everyone.
Read more about the project: The path of making things right: Te ara whakatika
EOI: Take part in research on the role of lived experience partners in mental health
Saman Hazir, PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury is seeking participants to be interviewed for his doctoral research project: ‘Expectations, Experiences, and Equity: How do lived experience partners influence mental health care in Aotearoa New Zealand?’
The research is supervised and supported through the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury.
The participants
Participants should have personal lived experience of mental health and/or addiction challenges and recovery, and who have used that lived experience in a professional capacity (such as in advisory, governance, or service design roles) for at least six months, either currently or in the past.
Māori lived experience advisors are warmly encouraged to participate, as their perspectives are especially important for understanding how equity, cultural responsiveness, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations can be advanced within mental health care.
Pacific participants are also welcome to take part.
What’s involved
Each participant will be asked to take part in one interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. Interviews can be conducted either in person or online, depending on what is most convenient.
Participants will receive a summary of the research findings and may provide feedback if they wish.
More about the research and how to get involved
Read the Letter - Invitation to learn more (DOCX 37KB)
If you are interested in participating please email: saman.nazir@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
EOI: Join the New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry
Have you had a broken hip or cared for someone with a broken hip?
The Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (the Registry) collects information about what happens to older people who break their hip, both during their time at hospital and when they go home. This information is used to improve the hospital care for people who break their hip.
The Registry is looking for people to join their National Governance Committee.
The participants
Consumers and whānau should have experience with a hip fracture or caring for a person with a hip fracture.
What’s involved
The NZ Hip Fracture Registry is looking for consumers to:
- join their national committee;
- tell their story to share in print and video at education conferences;
- link with other consumers in New Zealand and Australia via online Zoom catch-ups.
More about this opportunity and how to get involved
Read the EOI – Join the New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry Consumer Movement (PDF 107KB)
Read more information and complete the EOI form
To express your interest, email nicola@nzoa.org.nz
Consumer opportunity case studies
These consumer engagement stories describe how consumers have responded to opportunities promoted with the Consumer health forum Aotearoa. Consumers share their experience of the application process, onboarding and their contribution to the work. We hope these stories encourage others to use their lived experience and skills to contribute to the design, development, delivery and evaluation of the health system.
System safety strategy rōpū
Ngā Reo Māhuri Young Voices group
FIT for symptomatic project
Published: 16 Sep 2022
Modified: 6 Oct 2025
