This category is for working effectively with consumers to improve services. The Award recognises health organisations that demonstrate an ongoing partnership with health consumers to improve health outcomes and the patient experience.
Highly Commended -St John of God Hospital Murdoch
The judges chose St John of God Hospital because over the past 12 months, they have achieved improved health outcomes for patients in the areas of falls, pressure injuries and medication safety. This has been achieved through commitment to consumer participation and involving patients and their families in care needs. A key initiative implemented in 2015 targeted at improving outcomes in the areas of falls, pressure injuries, handover, infection prevention, discharge planning and medication safety was the “Working Together to Care” patient safety card.
Winner – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has achieved better healthcare outcomes by involving consumers and carers in the design, development and evaluation of its services. Key partnerships over the last year include the co-development of the CAMHS Recovery Plan; co-development and delivery of CAMHS Recovery Focused Care training to clinicians, consumers and carers; co-production of the performance check and redesign of the Gender Diversity Service; and further implementation of the CAMHS feedback process to consumers and carers who have partnered with CAMHS: “You Spoke, We Listened.”
Also nominated:
Epidemiology Branch, Public Health Division – Dept of Health WA
This division of WA Health, under Tarun Weeramanthri’s leadership, has started a long and challenging healthcare journey by partnering with consumers and the community in the identification of priorities and preferences for cancer control in WA as the first step in a process to minimise the social and economic impact of cancer on the WA community. The investment of work to date and that to come is to be applauded for the long-term social and economic return that it offers. This project stands out for recognition because it actually captured broad-based community perceptions as a platform for future development of the project. Their online public consultation, during February and March 2015, at “Your Say in Cancer in WA” was a first in Australia.
LADS – Learning and Attentional Disorders Society
LADS has spent the past twelve months actively engaging with the community to improve outcomes for people living with ADHD, their parents and partners as well as those who treat, teach and work with them. LADS has worked with Holyoake, Neurological Council and the Western Australian Association of Mental Health. One example of working in partnership is the development of advocacy training with the training team at WAAMH. LADS has worked closely with consumers to improve service delivery. As a result, we have seen a distinct improvement in the efficacy of our support groups
WA Country Health Service – Wheatbelt
WA Country Health Service actively involves consumers in reviews of clinical incidents. Consumer involvement and advice ensures that actions and recommendations developed are patient centred and more likely to result in sustained change. The feedback from staff involved in a review, where a patient was involved, suggest that staff members have reflected on their practice and have done or will make changes in addition to any recommendations or outcomes from the review. The following quote from a staff member best summarises the impact of this initiative: “having the consumer involved in the development of the recommendations resulted in the recommendations being more about the safety of patients and makes me more accountable.”