May 2008

Family council to advise Royal Children’s Hospital

An enthusiastic and diverse group of parents make up the new Royal Children Hospital Family Advisory Council.

The council aims to improve family-centred care by helping develop true partnerships between patients, families and staff. 

The council is a formal mechanism for families to discuss and communicate experiences, opinions and recommendations to the hospital. 

After calling for nominations, hospital management was thrilled with the number of families that volunteered their time and expertise to improve family-centred care at RCH. 

The council represents metropolitan and rural families who have had experience with more than 20 hospital departments.

Appointed members bring an amazing array of skills from varied backgrounds.

Key areas the council has identified include the value of systematic input from families and the importance of timely two-way communication.

Listening to the needs of families while being sensitive to, and respecting the experiences of, families, patients and staff is high on the list of priorities.

Members meet once a month and have appointed Susan Biggar as inaugural chairperson.

•           Family-centred Care Consultant Julie Hall has encouraged families or staff who would like to discuss issues, ideas or projects with the council. Ms Hall can be contacted by telephone on 9345 7058 or email at julie.hall@rch.org.au.