Consumer health forum Aotearoa update – July 2022

Tēnā koutou katoa,

It’s time. This is my last post as director, Partners in Care, at the Commission. I am moving on after 10 years of service, and what a time it has been. 

Many of you will have been working on the forefront and advocating for consumers in health services for many years. The socialisation of consumer engagement across the country has culminated in some serious attention to what people receiving health services need and want.

Health reforms have prioritised consumer and whānau, and we all have a role in taking that forward. We have hope and – importantly – opportunities to influence. The largest untapped resource of consumer and whānau voices is set to collectively be utilised by the new entities. 

In my final week at the Commission, I am proud to announce the release of our e-learning course ‘Co-design in health: an introduction’. It’s been many years in the making, from the first and ongoing co-design workshops in the sector, people putting projects together, talking about how we can get more reach into the sector, discussing the merits and use of co-design with consumers, coming up with ideas and discussing what a resource would look like, to –finally – the finished product due for launch this Friday.

I’d like to thank the team and our advisors at Ko Awatea for their persistence and perseverance in contributing to this online resource.

And as often happens, as we complete one aspect of the resource, we realise more is needed. The focus on consumers, whānau and Māori and Pacific communities will bring the diversity into reality, and those added modules in development will supplement and complement this first one.

It's time for all of us to capitalise on these opportunities and play whatever part we want to play, whether that be providing feedback to a health provider, participating in a hui, sitting on a panel or writing about our experiences. 

It's time.

It's our time.

It's your time.

Take the time.

All the best, everyone, and thank you.

Noho ora mai,

Chris Walsh, Director

Read the full update here.