Month: April 2025

Employment Opportunity

Posted on April 29, 2025

Advocacy Program Officer

Employment opportunity for an Advocacy Program Officer with our not-for-profit.

Do you want to be part of a team championing health rights for all West Aussies?  We are seeking an experienced database administrator with an eye for detail to join our Individual Advocacy Team, as our Advocacy Program Officer:

  • Fixed term for 18 months with the possibility of extension (subject to funding)
  • SCHADS L4, $43.08-$46.35/hour plus super
  • Applications close: 16 May 2025

About us

We are the Health Consumers’ Council WA (HCCWA). We work to make sure that the voices of West Aussies are heard and acknowledged in healthcare system matters. We fight for an equitable system that is shaped for the people of WA.

Advocacy Program Officer

This role supports HCCWA’s Healthcare Advocates in our Individual Advocacy Team. Our Advocates directly support WA health consumers who are experiencing difficulty with WA’s healthcare system, and ensure health rights are adhered to, and ensure WA Healthcare consumers’ voices are amplified, heard and understood within the WA health system. The Advocacy Program Officer ensures high quality data entry, collection and reporting, as well as providing general support to the Individual Advocacy Team.

About you

  • You’re looking for a role where you can apply your database administration and database management experience to help HCCWA drive social justice
  • You’re interested in the health system and care about people’s experiences of it
  • You thrive working in a fast paced agile environment working across multiple projects

Position overview

This position is responsible for providing support to HCCWA’s Individual Advocacy Team, in particular ensuring that we continue to maintain the highest standards of data integrity and knowledge management through the use of our CRM (customer relationship management) database. This role is key to ensuring high quality data and information to support accurate reports including identifying themes from consumer queries to enable us to champion systemic change.

The role also includes general program administration, responding to telephone and email queries to the Individual Advocacy Team, and assisting with reception when required.

A typical week might see you

  • Contacting consumers from the Individual Advocacy Team waitlist as a first point of contact
  • Extracting reports from the CRM database to inform funding reports or grant applications
  • Making changes to the CRM database to enable high quality and consistent data collection and data management
  • Supporting team members to implement new data management practices
  • Working directly with heath consumers to complete Freedom of Information requests and consent forms

The role offers you

  • The opportunity to be a part of a workplace that is driven by championing West Aussie consumer health rights
  • A welcoming, inclusive and supportive workplace, where everyone is encouraged to bring all of themselves
  • A competitive not-for-profit annual base salary with salary packaging
  • Flexible working arrangements including the opportunity to work from home occasionally
  • Additional leave entitlements

Click here to see the job description for a full outline of responsibilities for the role.

Diversity and inclusion

At Health Consumers’ Council WA we know that strength comes from diverse perspectives being at the table. We particularly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds and identities, people with disability and LGBTIQA+ community members.

Selection criteria

Essential

  1. A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role, including database administration
  2. Well-developed analytical skills, with the ability to extract, manipulate and analyse quantitative and qualitative data
  3. Well-developed interpersonal and verbal skills, with a demonstrated ability to support colleagues to implement new ways of working
  4. Excellent organisational skills, with high attention to detail and the ability to manage and prioritise deadlines and own workload with limited supervision
  5. Demonstrated ability to use initiative and solve problems within own area of responsibility
  6. Willing and able to work flexibly in a small team and “muck in” as required
  7. Be adept, or be able to quickly become adept in, a range of office software programs including Microsoft Office 365 Suite, relational databases such as MS Dynamics, and project management software

Desirable

  1. Background in data visualization and reporting
  2. Change management experience and knowledge
  3. Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders, and navigate difficult conversations when required

To apply for the position

Send a cover letter of no more than two pages addressing the selection criteria, along with a current resume outlining your work experience, skills and any relevant education or training to Kim Moore our Office and Executive Support Manager to employment@hconc.org.au clearly stating which role you’re applying for. Applications that do not address the criteria may not be considered.

The closing date for applications is 16 May 2025

If you require any adjustments to submit your application or wish to have a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Tania Harris, Engagement and Advocacy Manager on (08) 9221 3422 or email Kim Moore our Office and Executive Support Manager at employment@hconc.org.au

World immunisation week: are you up to date with your vaccinations? 

Posted on April 28, 2025

With colder weather approaching, a local measles outbreak that hasn’t yet gone away and COVID always on our minds, World Immunisation Week is a good time to check what vaccinations you might be needing. 

The World Health Organisation recognises World Immunisation Week to highlight the collective action needed to protect people against diseases. The theme for 2025 is “Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible” and celebrates that over the last 50 years, essential vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives, which is 6 lives a minute, every day, for five decades.  

It’s a good time to remember that vaccines aren’t just about saving lives of other people in other places, they save lives right here in our communities too. 

You might have read about the “quad-demic” experienced in the US over their winter, where there were higher than usual numbers of COVID, flu, RSV and norovirus circulating at the same time, leading to consumers being pretty unwell and a hospital system under considerable pressure. A reduction in the rate of flu vaccines and vaccine hesitancy around COVID vaccines has some experts concerned that we may see a similar experience in Australia this winter.  

The Department of Health issues a Virus Watch each week, and if you are interested in infectious diseases and how many of them are in our community at any given time, it is an interesting read. This year, Virus Watch has shown us that the flu is around in higher numbers than it usually is at this time of year, so it might be worth chatting to your doctor about the best time to schedule your annual flu shot.  

COVID vaccines are still available, with variant-specific vaccines being rolled out frequently. The best advice recommends:  

Adults over 18 WITHOUT immunocompromise who have NOT previously received a COVID vaccine.  Single primary dose 
Adults over 18 WITH immunocompromise who have NOT previously received a COVID vaccine Two primary doses 
Adults over 75 Recommended further doses every 6 months 
Adults 65-74 WITHOUT immunocompromise Recommended further doses every 12 months 
Adults 18-74 WITH immunocompromise  Recommended further doses every 12 months 
Adults 18-74 WITHOUT immunocompromise Can consider further doses every 12 months 

 You can get your COVID vaccine from pharmacies, but talk to your doctor about whether a COVID booster would be a good idea for you. 

The WA measles outbreak is well documented in the press, but for adults it can be unclear if you have received a measles vaccination, and how many you have received. The current recommendations are that measles vaccines should be given to  

  • children over 12 months of age
  • adolescents and adults born during or since 1966 who have not received 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine, particularly
  • healthcare workers
  • childhood educators and carers
  • people who work in long-term care facilities
  • people who work in correctional facilities
  • travellers 

For those born before 1966 it is widely assumed that they would have encountered measles naturally as a child and are therefore likely to have natural immunity.  

If you are unsure whether you have had measles or whether you have had two vaccines and are concerned about your immunity, blood testing can clarify your immune status. Talk to your GP.

Bronwyn Ife  |  Systemic Advocacy and Engagement Lead
For media enquiries: 0488 701 839

Federal Election 2025: Why Australia’s Health Future Depends on Your Vote

Posted on April 28, 2025

The Federal Election 2025 is fast approaching, and for Australians, we have been keeping an eye on the announcements from the major parties to see what they are saying about health – this is an important opportunity for healthcare system consumers like you and me to use our vote to shape the future of our healthcare system to make a stronger, fairer, and more accessible system for everyone.

Healthcare issues in the 2025 federal election are front and center. From bulk billing cuts to aged care reforms, Australians are asking critical questions:

  • How will Medicare evolve after the election?

  • Will rural and regional Australians finally gain better healthcare access?

  • What commitments will political parties make toward mental health funding and health equity?

Health election promises need to be about more than spending money on hospitals, although that is always welcome and necessary. It is important to look at investments in health in a way that makes a difference to people’s lives, even if they are not currently a patient in a hospital, because we all use the health system.  

At Health Consumers’ Council we want to see increased investment in primary care, increased investment in preventative health measures, a continued focus on improving the efficiency and capacity of  the hospital system and improved access to health care in the community. Women’s health has also been a priority this election, so we’re tracking that too.  

At the Health Consumers’ Council, we believe that a healthy society is the foundation of a thriving community. That’s why we’re urging everyone to look at the 2025 federal election through a health lens. We’ve had a look at what the major parties have said about each of our priority areas and we’ve summarised them for you, to help you decide what is important for you in health when you are going to vote:

Our Priority Labor Liberal/National Greens 
Increased investment in Primary Care 
  • $7.9 Billion in bulk billing incentives  
  •  Supporting training for 400 additional GP places so 2000 GPs enter training each year 
  •  Salary incentives for junior doctors to be GPs  
  •  400 nursing and midwifery scholarships 
  •  1800 MEDICARE telehealth service
  • $9 billion to strengthen medicare 
  • Grow the GP workforce through new incentive payments, entitlements and training support 
  • $195 billion to cover dental treatment under medicare 
  •  $21.5 billion to triple bulk billing incentives 
  •  $31.7 billion for 1000 new healthcare clinics where you can see a GP, dentist, nurse, Psychologist at no cost 
  •  $900 million in grants to encourage more GPs 
  •  Include free autism and ADHD diagnosis in medicare 
  •  Expand Chronic Disease Management Plan to remove service caps and increasing rebates
Increased focus on preventative health 
  • $1 billion mental health services  – includes 31 new and upgraded Medicare mental health services, 58 new, upgraded and expanded headspace services, 20 youth specialist care centres, 1200 training places for mental health professionals 
  •  $32 million men’s health program to break stigma around seeking help 
  •  8 new Perinatal mental health centres
  • Restore the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20
  • Support Australians to access suicide prevention services. 
  • Investing in medical research
  • Free mental health care by including mental health in medicare 
  • $400 million in grants to community mental health organisations to expand programs 
  • $180 million to create and implement and align a National Suicide Prevention Act 
  • $15 million to train mental health practitioners in gender affirmation, anti discrimination and cultural responsiveness 
  • $180 million for FAS-D diagnosis and treatment 
  • Pill testing and $786.2 million for 11 new safe injecting rooms  
  • $1.2 billion in resourcing the alcohol and other drug treatment sector
Access to care in the community 
  • Support regional health worker attraction, recruitment and retention initiatives
  • Continue support for the timely access to medicines through community pharmacies
  • Support regional health worker attraction, recruitment and retention initiatives
  • Continue support for the timely access to medicines through community pharmacies
  • $2 million to review telehealth capacity  
  • $750 million to Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisations for advancing Closing the Gap initiatives 
  • $2 million for a review into making Medicare and PBS available to imprisoned people
Women’s health 
  • Larger rebates for long acting reversible contraceptives 
  • Additional oral contraceptive pills on the PBS 
  • Menopause hormones added to PBS 
  • 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics  
  • Additional endometriosis treatments added to PBS
  • New endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics 
  • Specialist cancer nurses to support Australians with Ovarian Cancer
  • Deliver training for health professionals to address endometriosis, menopause and peri-menopause
  • Ensuring cheaper medicines and targeted healthcare for women.

Many of our allies in the health consumer and social services sector have published what they are seeking in the election, and we’ve summarised some of these here for you. 

Carers WA

  • Cost of living support for carers – increase Carer allowance by 15% and a one off boost of $300 to the Carer Supplement
  • Superannuation for carers
  • Expand the Young Carer Bursary
  • Expand the Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative
  • Carer Recognition  – training professionals to identify and support carers from the beginning 

Consumers Health Forum

  • Increase Medicare bulk-billing incentives to encourage more practitioners to bulk bill, particularly in areas with low rates of bulk-billing and socio-economic disadvantage
  • Reform the Medicare Safety Net to ensure it is more effective in reducing costs
  • Introduce a system to ensure automatic application of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Net pricing
  • Work towards universal affordable dental care and implement the next 10-year National Oral Health Plan
  • Support longer and more flexible specialist referrals, so consumers don’t have to keep going back to their GP
  • Allow other healthcare providers to refer patients to specialists where appropriate 

Australian Men’s Health forum

  • Fund Men’s health
  • Act on Male Suicide
  • Improve Boys Education
  • Support Aussie Dads 

Australian Women’s Health alliance

  • Affirm abortion as essential healthcare
  • ensuring the Medicare Benefits Schedule includes appropriate remuneration for healthcare providers to deliver affordable care
  • supporting workforce capacity building by working with medical and professional colleges providing sexual, reproductive and maternal healthcare training
  • ensuring public hospitals provide abortion care as part of standard, comprehensive reproductive health services
  • working with state and territory governments to implement all 36 recommendations from the Senate Inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare. 

Council on the Aging

  • Fund dental care for seniors
  • Review and increase rental assistance payments for seniors
  • Energy bill relief for pensioners
  • Affordable basic internet plans for seniors
  • Expand the lower-income super tax offset scheme (LISTO) to ensure those earning between $37,000 and $45,00 are included
  • Create innovative programs to help older women find affordable housing and improve their financial knowledge
  • Create a national plan that improves outcomes for an Ageing Australia and tackles ageism
  • Require businesses to accept cash payments and prohibit debit card fees
  • Create a peer-led training and support service for victims of online fraud and scams
  • Provide elder abuse prevention and support services – including for older women experiencing family violence
  • Ensure people requiring aged care services in their home don’t have to wait longer than 30 days for the support they need
  • Test a program that provides medical care at home to help older people avoid hospital stays 

Bronwyn Ife  |  Systemic Advocacy and Engagement Lead
For media enquiries: 0488 701 839

Highlighting consumer interests with the new WA ministerial team

Posted on April 11, 2025

Clare Mullen Executive Director Health COnsumers' Council WA

At Health Consumers’ Council (HCC), we believe that meaningful change in our health system requires active consumer involvement at every level of decision-making. Following the recent ministerial appointments, we’ve reached out to the new health leadership team to highlight key priorities identified by health consumers across Western Australia.

Our key advocacy priorities

Through our engagement with the WA health consumer community and our consumer lens on the health reform landscape, we’ve highlighted several critical issues:

Consumer involvement in decision-making

Across all our ministerial communications, we’ve emphasised the need to strengthen requirements for WA Health services to meaningfully involve consumers, families, and people with lived experience at every level of decision-making. We’ve highlighted the successful Consumer Lead roles within the Women’s and Babies Hospital project as a minimum standard for future projects of similar scale.

Healthcare affordability and equity

We’ve raised serious concerns about healthcare affordability, with evidence showing some community members are missing essential healthcare due to cost concerns, with some people resorting to taking out payday loans to access necessary care.

Aboriginal healthcare equity

We’ve drawn attention to Australia’s widest gap in hospital procedure rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients occurring right here in WA. We’re advocating for increased access to advocacy services for Aboriginal patients to strengthen their voices in healthcare settings.

Reducing avoidable harm

We’ve proposed practical steps to improve healthcare safety:

  • Mandating access to independent advocates for consumers and families involved in Severity Assessment Code Category 1 Clinical Incident Investigations
  • Embedding Care Opinion across the health system as a feedback and quality improvement mechanism

Preventative health investment

We’ve emphasised the potential of community-led health initiatives, highlighting the Compassionate Communities model in WA’s South West that achieved a remarkable 63% reduction in hospital admissions. We’re advocating for accelerated rollout of similar community-led approaches.

Medical Research and Citizen Science

We highlighted opportunities to strengthen consumer involvement in shaping research priorities. We’ve proposed investment in citizen science initiatives for health and health promotion, building on WA’s reputation as a leader in consumer involvement in research.

Aged care priorities

We’ve highlighted issues around:

  • Ensuring sufficient aged care capacity so people receive the right care in the right place
  • Taking action to eliminate stigma and discrimination in aged care services
  • Protecting the sexual safety and dignity of people with dementia

Prison Health Services

With Minister Papalia (Emergency Services, Corrective Services), we’ve reiterated the Sustainable Health Review Panel’s support for transferring custodial health services from the Department of Justice to the WA Health system to facilitate more integrated physical and mental healthcare.

Looking forward

These letters mark the beginning of what we anticipate will be a constructive dialogue with the new ministerial team. We’ve requested meetings with each minister to discuss these priorities in more detail and explore collaborative approaches to addressing them.

As is clear from the range of issues we’ve raised, the opportunities to improve health outcomes and experiences for everyone in WA are many and far-reaching. We welcome the expansion of the Ministerial team as recognition of the importance and scale of this work.

As ever, we welcome your thoughts and experiences on these issues. Please continue share your healthcare stories with us, as they strengthen our advocacy work and help identify emerging issues affecting health consumers across WA.

Clare Mullen, Executive Director

Health Budget – a win for women’s health

Posted on April 10, 2025

With the federal election called for 3 May, we’ll be tracking health promises made by all of the parties and letting you know what that means for WA healthcare system consumers.  

The federal government released their 2024-25 budget on Tuesday 25 March. Health is always a topic to watch at budget time and we’ve had a look at what was included in the 2025-26 budget.  

Women’s health was a big winner in the budget and we are really pleased to see women’s health being highlighted – an area that has been ignored or only spoken about obliquely for generations. There is a $792 million package for increased rebates and more bulk billing to increase safe access to long acting reversible contraceptives. A greater number of oral contraceptives have been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, making these medications cheaper for people who need them. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listings for hormonal treatments for menopause, medicare rebates for menopause health assessments and menopause training for GPs are all welcome initiatives, as is increased funding for endometriosis treatment and support, making it easier for people to receive the health care that they need.  

The nearly $8 billion spend on Medicare has been covered in many places, but this is aimed at increasing bulk billing rates across the country by increasing incentives for GPs to bulk bill. The goal is for 90% of GP visits to be bulk billed by 2030. The incentives are greater in rural and remote areas, which is a good outcome for services outside of metro areas.  

There is also funding to open 50 new Medicare Urgent Care clinics across the country. There are currently 87 of these clinics, alongside some other Urgent Care clinics run by private providers. A recent review into the Medicare Urgent Care clinics has found that while the cost to the government of care at Medicare Urgent Care Clinics is higher than standard GP appointments, and that the communication from the Urgent Care Clinics back to the patient’s usual GP could be better, the waiting times in Urgent Care Clinics are considerably shorter than those in hospital emergency departments and they give patients greater choice when looking for care, particularly after hours. 

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme co payment is being reduced from $31.60 to $25 which is an important saving for people who regularly need medications. 

Bronwyn Ife  |  Systemic Advocacy and Engagement Lead
For media enquiries: 0488 701 839