HCCA Health Care Consumers Association

Garpets Goodies

Recently, having finished my treatment at TCH (otherwise known as The Canberra Hospital) I somehow managed to find some literature about an organisation called the HCCA.Being a health care consumer I have to say that I found the idea that there was an organisation which would actually represent people like me most interesting. In my inimitable fashion I made some 'discreet local inquiries' and found out that this organisation has its offices in Pearce and that some of the people who I have 'met' or at least communicated with during the period that I have been ill were not only members, but important members.

As there was a committee that was looking at management information pertaining to the LINAC (linear accellerators) and in need of a consumer representative I thought I would make further inquiries to see whether what I had to offer might meet some of the needs.

As you would expect from any community organisation I was immediately told that there was a process by means of which I could apply and that this would be considered in due course by the relevant committees that undertook such work. I was also advised that there was a series of training days that I would be required to attend and presumably pass in order to be even considered suitable for being a consumer representative.

I was impressed.

I undertook to apply for membership, pay my membership fees and lodge an application to become a member of this committee looking at LINAC related matters.

So far I have had the pleasure of meeting with three of the main movers and shakers in this organistion and some of the staff who have been more than cordial and welcoming.

In return for their generosity in putting up with someone who still is unable to talk I have also joined their discussion group on Yahoo and tried as hard as I could to be of some assistance with their web site and with looking at their computer related services.

I hope to be able to be even more useful over time. Meanwhile I have placed a number of issues on to the discussion group and have taken the liberty of posting a few files on to the site so that Oesophageal Cancer actually is given a heads up opportunity among all of the more well known cancers in the community.

Among other things I have suggested that perhaps a support group for people suffering from this form of cancer could be useful and have urged people who are members of the list to let me know if there was any interest in starting such a group.

It's early days so I am not too disappointed by the fact that so far I have not had a response to this matter.

I have however had some very positive responses to some suggestions I have made about paid parking at the hospital.

If there are others out there who are readers of my blog that want to know more about the HCCA either because they themselves are comsumers of health services in the ACT or are carers for someone who is a consumer, then I would be happy to assist them to make a call to the HCCA and consider becming a member. It seems to me that the more people in the ACT who join an organisation like this the more powerful its voice can become in providing feedback from a consumer perspective to the ACT government and to the management of the various health providers in this community.

If you want to know more just drop me a line or better yet look up:
http://www.hcca.org.au/