News
New local consumer advocate role for MTHCS
Mon, 04 Feb 2019 07:15:00
Mallee Track Health and Community Services has established a new consumer advocate role to support patients, aged care residents and service consumers.
Grant Doxey, based at Sea Lake, has taken on the newly structured position in preparation for changes to the Aged Care Quality Standards that will come into effect from July 1st.
MTHCS Chief Executive Officer Lois O’Callaghan said navigating the system could be challenging, especially for aged care residents and their families.
“People sometimes don’t want to seem critical of a service in their local town, especially when they know and like the staff.
“But it’s essential that they do formalise any concerns and tell us if they think something isn’t working well.
She said complaints relating to a system or policy created opportunities for improvement so it was vital that the community informed the health service of any concerns.
“We need to know what is and isn’t working well so that we can be continually improving service delivery.
Ms O’Callaghan said changes to Aged Care Quality Standards were welcomed by MTHCS.
“It will be helpful for our communities to have Grant available to advocate for them – to MTHCS as the service provider and to the various Agencies that regulate aged care services and other services provided by MTHCS across the whole of its catchment.
Further explaining his new role, Mr Doxey said he was undertaking an improvement process internally at MTHCS with a focus on the systems and processes in place for handling and managing complaints.
“There are already a number of free advocacy services available for people, but the health service values having its own locally-based advocate to work with community members.
“The complaints and feedback process in place at MTHCS is rigorous and highly confidential, and we want to regularly test that it works effectively,” he added.
Ms O’Callaghan said the review would include the way MTHCS received and handled complaints and feedback from the community about general service delivery, as well as community satisfaction with the response of the health service.
“Feedback provides vital information for planning and continuous improvement. Staff and volunteers also love to hear positive feedback from the community about what we are doing well.
“However, anonymous feedback can’t be acted on and that means we can miss out on an opportunity.
Ms O’Callaghan said as a taxpayer-funded public entity, MTHCS was regulated strictly by the Victorian and federal governments that provided funding.
“We are committed to accountability and transparency in everything we do, so we need to hear from the community regularly.
“This is one of the main reasons we’ve created a new Consumer Advocate position,” she added.
MTHCS has a Feedback and Complaints form that can be downloaded from the website at
www.mthcs.com.au or by contacting Grant on his confidential mobile phone 0438 950 202 or by email at gdoxey@mthcs.vic.gov.au
Pictured: Grant Doxey