Becoming an Epworth Consumer Advisor

Epworth HealthCare is seeking more members of the community to become consumer advisors to help inform us about the services we deliver and ultimately help us improve our delivery of care.

Consumer advisors work with Epworth teams to improve how our services are delivered by providing feedback and sharing suggestions and ideas. Consumer advisors are a voice for patients, family members and carers and they are key members of working groups and committees providing their opinions across projects and patient materials.

Nerida Phillips is one of Epworth’s highly valued consumer advisors, working on the ‘Hear Me’ pilot program.

Run by Safer Care Victoria, HEAR Me is a 24/7 statewide service for patients and families to share compliments and escalate care concerns through Epworth’s internal process for escalation of care.

“We ran test calls to see whether our mock patients were put through to the right people, and whether people’s concerns were truly heard and actioned,” Nerida explained.

“It all went really well.

“It’s a different generation now, where everyone is their own advocate and people are more empowered.”

Nerida became an Epworth consumer advisor after undergoing both major and minor surgery at Epworth.

“I had very good care from Epworth. I probably owe them my life and I am grateful, so this was a lovely opportunity to give back and have a voice," she said.

“As a patient, you’re so caught up in your own worries and problems; you don’t take a lot in. It’s nice to see the hospital from a different perspective, be more involved and understand the mechanics behind everything.”

Epworth is seeking more consumer advisors like Nerida to help us make changes and implement improvements in ways patients really value.

“If you have the time and are interested in healthcare, it’s a great way to seriously impact change”, she said.

“It’s not onerous or just a token position. I felt valued as a part of the team”

If you are over 18 years of age and have had a lived experience of any of our services, either as a patient, family member or carer, we would love to hear from you.

To apply to become an Epworth consumer advisor, please complete our online application form. For more information, phone: 03 9426 8871 or email [email protected]