A report on loneliness, an issue which clouds the lives of many Australians and exposes them to increased risk of depression and other illness, has called for a national plan of action to address the often unrecognised condition. Fifteen per cent of Australians were considered to be experiencing...

There is no better time than now for the Federal Government to support the development of consumer leadership in the health system, the Consumers Health Forum said today. In its submission for the 2021-22 Federal Budget, CHF has urged Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, to support the establishment of an...

The introduction today of Active Ingredient Prescribing will help clarify consumers’ understanding of the medicines they are prescribed, the Consumers Health Forum says. “This is a welcome advance for patients by focusing, where practical, on the name of the effective ingredient of a medication...

The scale and complexity of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout make it vital that Federal and state governments urgently step-up comprehensive communications to ensure the best possible outcome, the Consumers Health Forum says. CHF has today released its position statement on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout...

The Consumers Health Forum welcomes the AMA’s position statement on health literacy as important recognition of the need for strong public support for people to have access to valid health information. “CHF has long argued for more focus on health literacy to ensure people understand their own...

The lowest average rise in health insurance premiums in nearly 20 years is welcome although many Australians in the current economic climate will struggle to meet the increased cost, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “The 2.74 per cent average increase in premiums to take effect next April is...

The Federal Government’s $2.4 billion health plan to fight COVID-19 is an impressive and wide-ranging response that prepares Australians and health services well to counter the threat of a pandemic, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “The provision of bulk-billed telehealth medical services,...

Australia should use social prescribing to counter rising chronic health problems, according to a new report from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Consumers Health Forum (CHF). Social prescribing involves the referral of patients to non-medical activities,...

The Federal Government must heed the call of its health insurance regulator and establish an independent review into private health insurance, the Consumers Health Forum says. Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority board member Geoff Summerhayes has made the call this week in a penetrating...

As so many Australians who have needed mental health care know, the ideal of universal access to the services they need is a fiction. The Productivity Commission’s draft report on mental health points to “a once in a generation opportunity to reform our mental health system”, the Consumers Health...