Consumer and Community Participation
Consumer and Community Participation
The Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce (GMCT) is committed to ensuring that its processes are transparent and accountable to the NSW community it serves. Consumers bring a unique and valuable perspective by helping those working inside the health system to recognise what patients see as the important aspects of care.
Over 30 consumer and community participants are active partners with clinicians - doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and managers, across the following GMCT Specialty Service Networks, to ensure that high quality care is delivered, access is improved and specialty services are well coordinated.
Consumer and community participants often play key roles in their networks - chairing committees, contributing with first hand experience to the publication of patient guides (eg. on kidney donation, bone marrow transplants and gynaecological oncology) or to planned media activities. In particular, their involvement helps to ensure that clinical discussions remain patient focused.
Participants not only have a voice in individual networks, they also meet together regularly to share ideas. GMCT has established a consumer forum which brings together consumer and community participants across its range of networks. At these fora, consumers have the opportunity to meet other participants and to raise any relevant issues of concern or interest for discussion.
The GMCT booklet, Guidelines on Consumer and Community Participation provides further information about the role of consumer and community participants, gives guidance on communications and resources provided and provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
