Health Consumers' Council WA

SURVEY 📢 YOU can help shape the future of preventative health in WA. Q: What helps people stay healthy? The WA Government is asking Western Australians to help answer that question as it develops the state's first Preventative Health Strategy.What helps people stay healthy?

The WA Government is developing Western Australia's first Preventative Health Strategy and wants to hear from the community.

Good health is about more than treating illness. It is also about preventing disease, supporting wellbeing and making it easier for people to stay healthy throughout their lives.

If you are 18 or older and live in WA, you can help shape the conversation by sharing your views.

🔸 Around 15 minutes to complete
🔸 Anonymous responses
🔸 Closes 24 July 2026

Every lived experience adds to the picture.

Take the survey here 👉 https://consultation.health.wa.gov.au/pahd-office-of-the-chief-health-officer/preventative-health-strategy-consumer-consultation/

HCCWA’s Aboriginal Patient Advocacy Training is for people who work with Aboriginal people and want practical skills to support them in the WA health system. 📢

The full-day workshop covers:
🔸 culturally safe care
🔸racism and health
🔸health rights
🔸advocacy skills
🔸referral pathways
🔸vicarious trauma

Delivered in person at HCCWA HQ in Mount Lawley, places are limited.

Register via our website 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/cqhwuklksj

What would help you feel more confident supporting Aboriginal patients?

What makes a GP appointment feel culturally safe? 📢 A new Australian study asked Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about their experiences, and their answers are relevant to all of us.

They spoke about feeling listened to, being treated with respect, having enough time to ask questions, building trust, being involved in decisions about their healthcare.

These may seem like simple things, but they can make a real difference to how people experience healthcare.

We've summarised the research and what it means for consumers, healthcare professionals and health services.

Read and share the the article on our website 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/sokqxmrcoc

What has made you feel genuinely heard during a healthcare appointment?

Have you, or someone close to you, experienced cancer care in Western Australia? Your experience could help improve cancer care for future patients and families 📢

HCCWA is working with the WA Department of Health to make sure lived experience helps shape the state's new Cancer Plan.

We're looking to hear from people who:
🔸 received cancer treatment in WA in the past five years
🔸 cared for or supported someone through cancer treatment
🔸 are a parent or guardian of a child or young person who received cancer treatment.

Everyone who registers will be invited to complete a short survey. Selected participants will also be invited to take part in a paid interview or small group workshop. If a survey isn't accessible for you, we can collect your feedback another way.

Register your interest today and please share this opportunity with someone who may like to take part 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/avfdgchopn

Open disclosure is when doctors and hospitals talk openly and honestly with patients and their families if something goes wrong during care 📢

So, if something goes wrong during your healthcare, what should happen next? You should get clear answers, be treated with respect, and have the chance to ask questions.

The Open Disclosure Framework has recently been updated, and sets clearer rules for how health services should talk with patients and families after something goes wrong.

Our latest article explains what open disclosure means, what you can expect, and how HCCWA can support you if you need help speaking up.

Have you heard of open disclosure before?

Read more and learn about your rights 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/kiaerwlver

The National NAIDOC movement began with people asking to be heard. The roots of NAIDOC Week stretch back to the Day of Mourning in 1938, when Aboriginal leaders gathered to call for equality, justice and a better future.

At HCCWA, that history reminds us of something we see every day, healthcare is better when people are heard. HCCWA works to amplify the voices and experiences of all people who use our healthcare system, to make healthcare fair for all 📢

When people are listened to, respected and involved in decisions about their care, trust grows. Better conversations happen, better healthcare follows.

This year's NAIDOC Week theme, "50 Years of Deadly", celebrates five decades of recognising the strength, achievements and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Read our NAIDOC Week blog post 👉

How do you prepare for winter? We asked people across Western Australia to share the simple steps they take to stay healthy during the colder months 📢

Many respondents told us they:
🔸 Get vaccinated if they're eligible.
🔸 Wash their hands regularly.
🔸 Eat a healthy diet.
🔸 Stay active.
🔸 Get enough sleep.
🔸 Keep in touch with family and friends.
🔸 See their GP for regular check-ups.

The survey provides a snapshot of how respondents prepare for winter and the practical actions they believe help protect their health.

It also highlights something important. Many people want prevention to be simple, with clear health information and easy access to services that help them stay well.

We've brought these findings together in our WA Winter Readiness Report, along with practical insights that may help you and your family this winter.

Read the report here 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/yowsyfaydl

Now we'd like to hear from you. What's one thing you always do to stay well during winter? Share your tips in the comments. Your experience could help someone else.

Healthcare works better when the people using it help shape it 📢 At our Diversity Dialogues Forum, community leaders, healthcare professionals and consumers shared their experiences of accessing healthcare as older people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

The discussion highlighted real barriers, including:
🔸 language and communication
🔸 navigating complex services
🔸 transport
🔸 digital exclusion
🔸 building trust with healthcare providers
🔸 culturally safe care

The forum also identified practical solutions, from strengthening care finder and navigator programs to improving cultural competence and increasing community representation in health decision making.

These conversations matter because everyone deserves healthcare that is accessible, respectful and centred on their needs.

Read our round up and access the full report and discover the recommendations 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/emvptnxuec

What do you think is the biggest barrier to equitable healthcare in WA?

📸
Chung Wah Association
North Metropolitan Health Service
Organisation of African Communities in WA Inc
Umbrella Community Care
Edmund Rice Centre WA