Frequently asked questions: Partners in Care

What is the consumer health forum Aotearoa?

The consumer health forum Aotearoa is made up of health consumers who would like to be actively involved in shaping the health system. The role of the forum is to facilitate conversations between health consumer individuals and organisations, and health entities.

Forum members will be kept informed of health reform updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback as the health system is reviewed and reformed.

Forum members will help set the agenda for forum hui facilitated by the Health Quality & Safety Commission. Information gathered from the hui will help inform how the consumer and whānau voice is built into the health system.

You can find more on the consumer health forum Aotearoa here.

What is the code of expectations for consumer/whānau engagement?

The code of expectations for consumer/whānau engagement outlines principles to support consumer engagement and ensure consumer and whānau voices are embedded at all levels of the health care system. 

The code outlines consumer/whānau engagement expectations for the health system. This is to ensure consumer perspectives are reflected in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services.

You can find more on the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act and the code of expectations here.

What is ‘Partners in Care’?

Partners in Care, or He Hoa Tiaki, is the consumer and whānau engagement programme at the Commission.

He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care encourages the health system and health services to put consumers first. The programme believes consumers should be actively involved in decision-making about health and disability services at every level, including governance, planning, policy and priority setting.

You can find out more about He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care and their work here. 

Why does the Commission use the term ‘consumer’?

The Commission recognises there are many views about who a ‘health consumer’ is. While there is no universally agreed definition, we use ‘consumer’ for our projects and in our documents for consistency across our work.

The Commission uses the term ‘consumer’ to refer  to anyone who has used, is currently using or is likely to use a health service. This includes but is not limited to individuals, community members, whānau and family, carers, patients and tangata whaiora. ‘Consumer’ includes voices of Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled people, migrants, refugees, rainbow communities and people living in rural areas. ‘Consumer’ resonates with some people more than others. It is important that people and communities use the language they feel most comfortable with and whichever term resonates with them.

How do you ensure the consumer voice is included in the design, planning, and delivery of the Commission’s work?

The Commission’s dedication to involving the consumer and whānau voice at all levels is shown in its four strategic priorities:

• improving experience for consumers and whānau
• embedding and enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• supporting mana motuhake, achieving health equity
• strengthening systems for high-quality services.

The Commission has a dedicated consumer engagement team, named He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care, a consumer advisory group to the board | Te kāhui mahi ngātahi and a consumer network | kōtuinga kiritaki.

All Commission work programmes include consumers in their advisory and reference groups.

Consumer and whānau engagement is essential in the design, planning and delivery of any programme across the Commission.

How does the Commission recognise the contribution of consumers?

The Commission values the expertise consumers bring to its work and has adopted a policy for paying consumers in line with guidance from the Public Services Commission. You can access the policy here.