What we heard in 2026

In March and April, we ran two workshops and brought together thirteen people at different stages of their consumer representation journeys. What they shared was honest, thoughtful and consistent with what we have heard over many years of running this training.

People come to this work because something happened to them or to someone they love, and they want it to mean something changes for the next person. They want to understand the system well enough to push back on it. They want to contribute in a way that is heard and respected, not just invited in and then overlooked.

We have put together a full summary of both workshops, including what participants told us about the value of lived experience, the realities of consumer representative roles, the importance of diversity and who is still missing from these spaces, and what makes participation meaningful rather than tokenistic.

Why this matters beyond the training room

Consumer representatives play a specific and important role in systems change. They bring the perspectives of people who use services into the places where decisions are made. They help ensure that what the health system understands about what is working, what is missing and what needs to change is grounded in real life, not just data and projections.

HCCWA’s role is to make sure the people stepping into those roles feel ready: informed, supported and clear that their experience is a form of expertise. That has been our commitment for 34 years and this training is one of the places where that commitment shows up in practice

A training built for the long haul

This is not a one-off workshop or a box to tick before someone is assigned to a committee or a working group or a seat at an executive table. It is a space where people with lived and learned experience of health services can explore what consumer representative work actually involves, think about whether and how they want to contribute, and build confidence to do that well. The content covers the shape of the WA health system and where consumer voices can fit within it. It is honest about the challenges: the risk of tokenism, the emotional weight of bringing personal experience into formal spaces, the patience required when change is slow. And it is grounded, always, in the belief that people who use health services hold knowledge the system cannot get from anywhere else.

It has been delivered face to face, fully online, and now in both formats because we have learned that different options open the door for different people. In 2026, two people who couldn’t make the Saturday in-person session came back and attended the Tuesday evening online session instead. That is what genuine accessibility looks like: not just saying people are welcome, but making sure there is more than one way in.

Over three decades of consumer voices: the training that keeps people ready

Since 1994, Health Consumers’ Council WA has stood alongside people who use health services across WA. Throughout that time, one thread has run consistently through our work: helping people understand that their experience matters, that their voice belongs in the room, and that they have something real to contribute to making the health system better.

Our Introduction to Consumer Representation training is one of the ways we do that. The current iteration of this training goes back to 2019, but this commitment goes back much further. The format has evolved; the purpose has not.

Read the full 2026 workshop summary report or get in touch with us at engagement@hconc.org.au if you are interested in consumer representation opportunities or want to know when our next session is running.

Health Consumers’ Council WA
www.hccwa.org.au

Balancing safety, dignity and trust

WA Health has introduced a statewide mandatory policy for body worn camera use in public health facilities. The policy is about staff and visitor safety, but it also raises important questions about trust, dignity, communication, privacy and accountability.

WA Health has introduced a new mandatory policy about the use of body worn cameras in public health facilities. The policy is focused on supporting safety during incidents involving violence, aggression or threatening behaviour. It sets out when body worn cameras can be used, who can use them, how people should be told they are being recorded, and how footage should be managed.

Health Consumers’ Council WA was invited to take part in the policy consultation process, alongside clinical, safety and health system representatives. We appreciated the opportunity to bring a consumer perspective into those discussions and to speak to what matters for people, families and communities when they are accessing care.

For us, this conversation was about more than the cameras themselves. It was about trust, dignity, communication, privacy and safety.

Here’s our summary of the policy.

Why staff safety matters

We also want to acknowledge why this policy exists. Health care workers, security staff and others working in our health system have the right to be safe at work. No one should experience violence, aggression, threats or abuse while providing care or supporting people in health services.

When staff feel unsafe, this can affect everyone – staff, patients, families, carers and other people nearby. A safer environment supports better care.

From a consumer perspective, supporting staff safety and protecting consumer rights are not opposing goals. Both matter. The important question is how safety measures are used, especially in situations where people may be unwell, frightened, distressed, overwhelmed or in crisis.

This is not completely new

Body worn cameras are already used in a range of public safety and frontline settings across Australia. They have also already been used in some WA health settings.

For example, WA Country Health Service has had a local Body Worn Camera Procedure for security officers working at WACHS health sites and facilities. That procedure was published in May 2025 and covers the use of body worn cameras, associated equipment, and the capture, management, storage, retrieval and release of digital data.

WACHS also has an Electronic Security Systems Policy that includes body worn cameras as part of its broader security arrangements, alongside CCTV, duress alarms and access or identification cards.

So, the new WA Health policy is not simply about introducing a new technology for the first time. What is new is the statewide mandatory policy. This creates a system-wide framework for the lawful, ethical and consistent use of body worn cameras across all WA public health facilities.

We have not found publicly available body worn camera-specific policies for every Health Service Provider. This is one reason a statewide policy matters: it gives services a shared set of minimum requirements, rather than relying only on local arrangements that may differ between services and may not be easy for consumers to find.

What the WA policy says

Under the WA Health policy, body worn cameras can only be used by Security Officers. They are not for routine surveillance. They may be activated only when there is an imminent risk to the safety of staff, patients or visitors because of violent, aggressive or threatening behaviour.

Where practicable, people should be told that recording is starting. This is important because clear communication can help reduce fear, confusion and mistrust, especially for people who may already be distressed or struggling to understand what is happening.

The policy also recognises that extra care is needed in private, sensitive and clinical areas. From a consumer perspective, this is one of the most important parts of implementation. A person’s dignity, privacy and cultural safety still matter, even when a situation is difficult or unsafe.

What happens to the footage?

The policy does not set one simple storage timeframe for body worn camera footage. Instead, footage must be managed in line with WA Health information policies and State Government records rules. In practice, footage linked to a security incident may be kept for longer than routine footage, depending on the type of incident, whether it is needed for investigation, and how the record is classified.

A consumer who wants access to footage involving them will need to contact the relevant hospital or health service and ask about access through Freedom of Information or the appropriate information access process. Access may not be automatic, especially if other people are identifiable in the footage.

Questions consumer representatives can ask

As this policy is put into practice, consumer representatives, Chairs and committee members can play an important role by staying curious and asking practical questions, like:

• How will people be told when a body worn camera is being turned on?
• How will staff make sure people understand what is happening, especially if they are distressed, unwell, cognitively impaired, culturally unsafe, or communicating in a language other than English?
• How often are body worn cameras being activated, and in what kinds of situations?
• How will services monitor whether cameras are being used appropriately?
• How will consumers, families and carers be able to raise concerns or provide feedback?
• How long is footage kept, who can access it, and how are people told about their rights to request access?
• How will consumer experience be included in evaluation of the policy?

Keeping people at the centre

HCCWA supports safe health services for everyone – patients, families, carers, staff, volunteers and visitors. We also believe that safety measures must be implemented in ways that protect dignity, trust, cultural safety and compassion.

Many of the situations where body worn cameras may be used will involve people at very difficult moments in their lives. That is why monitoring and evaluation should look beyond compliance and should also consider what body worn camera use means for consumers, including whether people feel respected, informed and safe.

We are sharing this information as part of our commitment to keeping our consumer community informed about policy changes and the work HCCWA is involved in. We hope it supports consumer representatives, Chairs and community leaders to take part confidently in conversations about how this policy is implemented across WA Health.

Sources

• WA Health Body Worn Camera Use in Health Facilities Policy: https://www.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Corp/Policy-Frameworks/Work-Health-and-Safety/Body-Worn-Camera-Use-in-Health-Facilities-Policy/Body-Worn-Camera-Use-in-Health-Facilities-Policy.pdf
• WACHS Body Worn Camera Procedure: https://www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/WACHS/Documents/About-us/Policies/Body-Worn-Camera-Procedure.pdf?thn=0
• WACHS Electronic Security Systems Policy: https://www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/WACHS/Documents/About-us/Policies/Electronic-Security-Systems-Policy.pdf?thn=0
• WA Government General Retention and Disposal Authority for State Government Information: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/general-retention-and-disposal-authority-state-government-information-da-2023-004

Written by Tania Harris
Engagement Manager | Aboriginal Engagement Lead | Disability Engagement Lead

This year, Western Australia has introduced something important for families — a free, needle-free flu vaccine for children.

The FluMist program is now available for children aged 2 to 11 years, a quick nasal spray instead of a needle. For many parents and carers and especially for children who are anxious about injections, this is a very welcome option.

FluMist works in the same way as traditional flu vaccines by helping protect children against influenza and its complications. It’s not new internationally, it’s been used safely overseas for many years. 2026 is the first time we’re seeing a state-wide rollout here in WA.

We are currently running a Winter survey to hear the perspectives of the community, and what stands out to me is just how varied people’s experiences and attitudes to vaccination are.

Many people told us they actively plan for winter and see vaccination as part of that:

• “Make sure I get the flu vaccination… and encourage my family to do the same.”
• “Flu vaccination, take vitamin C supplements… wash hands more regularly.”

But alongside this, we’re hearing about very real barriers that not just about choice, but about access, timing and experience:

• “I always plan to and then get too sick… to actually get it.”
• “I should probably get a flu injection, but I always put it off and forget.”
• “Vaccination clinics outside of ordinary working hours… it’s difficult to find time to take the children when working full time.”

We’re also hearing that for some people, concerns and past experiences are influencing decisions:

• “Had a fever/chills after last vaccination and dislike needles.”
• “I don’t trust vaccinations… and their side effects.”
• At the same time, there’s a strong sense of shared responsibility coming through:
• “Even if people reject vaccinations, we all have a duty of care to protect each other from harm.”

For me, this is exactly why initiatives like FluMist matter

They respond directly to what people are telling us by removing one of the most common barriers (needle anxiety), making the process quicker and easier for families.

Children are a key group when it comes to influenza. They are more likely to spread the virus, and even otherwise healthy children can become seriously unwell. Supporting children to get vaccinated helps protect not just them, but the wider community as well.

What families need to know

The FluMist vaccine is free for children aged 2–11 years in WA

It is delivered as a gentle nasal spray — no needles required!

It’s available through GPs, community health clinics, Aboriginal medical services and some pharmacies

It’s designed to make flu vaccination easier, particularly for children who may otherwise miss out
If you are supporting families, please let them know about this new initiative.

Where to find out more

• WA Department of Health influenza program
• HealthyWA (parent-friendly information)
• Healthdirect service finder

Take our 4min survey!

If you have a moment, please do fill out our Winter Survey and let us know what you are planning to do to keep healthy this winter.

4 minute survey: How will you protect yourself and your loved ones from winter bugs?