Metro South Health's Consumer, Carer and Community Engagement Strategy 2023-2026 (PDF, 679.88 KB) provides a framework to facilitate meaningful engagement in relation to the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of healthcare services in our region, in order to meet the needs of the people who use them.

It also provides the mechanism to enable us to gather feedback about initiatives and reforms that will impact service delivery and to monitor the quality and safety of our services, to deliver improved services for consumers and the community.

Summary

The overall objectives of the strategy are to:

• build trusting and respectful partnerships with consumers, carers and community to deliver better healthcare outcomes in our region
• acknowledge and promote the expertise and value of consumers, carers, and the community
• build consumer and community satisfaction with the quality of their interactions with Metro South Health through open, honest and transparent two-way communication
• achieve requirements for the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards for partnership with consumers.

Why does Metro South Health want to engage?

Research shows that involving community members and consumers in decisions around health services contributes to a better system.

We believe there are a number of benefits in obtaining community input about our services and programs.

Consumer and community engagement allows us to: 

• better plan, design and deliver services that meet the needs of the people who use them 
• improve the safety, quality and accessibility of our health services 
• gather feedback about programs, services, initiatives and reforms 
• empower local communities to have a voice in service planning, design and delivery.