Epworth HealthCare wants more people to become consumer advisors, to help improve the delivery of our care.
Consumer advisors have a say in how our services are provided and how they can be improved. These people are a voice for patients, family members and carers on working groups, committees, projects and patient materials.
Nerida Phillips is one of Epworth's highly valued consumer advisors, working on the 'Hear Me' pilot program, in December 2019.
Run by Safer Care Victoria, it complements the 'Are you worried' program.
"We ran test calls to see whether our mock patients were put through to the right people, assess staff reactions and whether people's concerns were truly heard and actioned," Nerida explained.
"It all went really well.
"It's a different generation now where everyone is their own advocate and are more empowered."
Nerida became an Epworth consumer advisor after undergoing both major and minor surgery at Epworth.
"I had very good care from Epworth. I probably owe them my life and I am grateful, so this was a lovely opportunity to give back and have a voice,' she said.
"As a patient, you're so caught up in your own worries and problems; you don't take a lot in. It's nice to see the hospital from a different perspective, be more involved and understand the mechanics behind everything."
Epworth is seeking further consumer advisors like Nerida to help us make changes and implement improvements in ways patients really want, not what we think they want.
"If you have the time and are interested in healthcare it's a great way to seriously impact change", she said.
"It's not just a token position. I felt valued as a part of the team."
If you are over 18 years of age and have had a lived experience of our service, either as a patient, family member or carer, we would love to hear from you.
