20 September 2024 — Submission

Submission on Improving commercial foods for infants and young children

CHF is pleased to make a submission to the consultation on 'Improving commercial foods for infants and young children' and credits the Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) for the opportunity and the Food For Health Alliance (FHA) for leading the development of the response.

During the first 2,000 days in a child's growth and development, food and nutrition play a crucial role. Consumption of commercial foods for infants and young children has increased in recent years and is becoming more common as parents and caregivers see these as convenient, economical and healthy options.

With the increase in popularity, the commercial food market for infants and young children has also grown significantly. The FRSC is seeking to improve the nutritional composition, labelling and texture of commercial foods for infants and young children through actions in the Food Regulation System to better align this population's diets with Australian and New Zealand infant and toddler dietary guidance.

CHF is a supporter of the FHA, the leading policy and advocacy voice working to improve diets and prevent overweight and obesity in Australia, particularly for children. The Alliance and its Members have collaborated to develop evidence-based responses to the consultation questions that centre the needs of consumers and their health.

5 September 2024 — Submission

Submission to the Review of Australia's Disability Strategy

CHF welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the review of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031

The current Disability Strategy recognises that good health is a fundamental requirement of a good life and has included health and wellbeing as a key outcome area. CHF’s response primarily focuses on this outcome area.

Achieving health equity requires health services and information to be accessible and inclusive for all Australians – including people with disabilities. The disability community has consistently called for improved disability awareness and accessibility across the healthcare system and this must be prioritised within the Disability Strategy.

At the heart of CHF’s policy agenda is consumer-centred care. Importantly, CHF would like to emphasise the need for a diversity of people with disability to be central to the design, implementation and evaluation of all aspects of the Disability Strategy, including this review.

5 September 2024 — Submission

Submission to the Review of Australia's Disability Strategy

CHF welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the review of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031

The current Disability Strategy recognises that good health is a fundamental requirement of a good life and has included health and wellbeing as a key outcome area. CHF’s response primarily focuses on this outcome area.

Achieving health equity requires health services and information to be accessible and inclusive for all Australians – including people with disabilities. The disability community has consistently called for improved disability awareness and accessibility across the healthcare system and this must be prioritised within the Disability Strategy.

At the heart of CHF’s policy agenda is consumer-centred care. Importantly, CHF would like to emphasise the need for a diversity of people with disability to be central to the design, implementation and evaluation of all aspects of the Disability Strategy, including this review.

10 May 2024 — Submission

Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence

CHF

In the context of CHF’s commitment to quality improvement in healthcare, CHF supports and recognises the value of automated decision-making and discriminative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, which have been used in healthcare for many decades.

However, the sudden rise of generative word modelling, such as ChatGPT, prompts CHF to raise significant concerns, as many features of generative AI software may pose significant risks to consumers when used in a healthcare setting. As such, CHF welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI).

To ensure alignment with the Committee’s Terms of Reference, this submission focuses exclusively on generative AI.

27 March 2024 — Submission

Submission to the "Co-design of an Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process for Health Technology Assessment" Consultation

Consumers Health Forum

CHF appreciates the opportunity to provide a submission to the “Co-design of an Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process for health technology assessment” consultation.

The overall health of Australians accessing the healthcare system relies heavily on the availability, safety and quality of health technologies approved by the TGA. Technologies are then subsidised by bodies such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) after recommendations by mechanisms such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC).

Consumers ultimately bear the cost of all health technologies through their taxes and out-of-pocket expenses. For this reason, consumers are major stakeholders in any HTA reform. While recognising that ambitious reform will always require broad-ranging consensus, the views of Australians as health consumers are the most significant group during this process.

The original consultation document can be accessed here.

 

18 March 2024 — Submission

CHF Submission to DOHAC Consultation on options to limit unhealthy food marketing to children

CHF

Australians' diets are currently sub-optimal, with the majority of people consuming inadequate amounts of core foods and too many discretionary foods. This has negative impacts on population health, including through increased rates of overweight and obesity and a range of associated chronic diseases.

Exposure to marketing for unhealthy foods and drinks can influence food choices and dietary intake. This is especially true in childhood, when children are forming food habits and marketing can be a powerful socialisation agent. Current measures to reduce children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing in Australia are predominantly industry-led and voluntary in nature, with minimal regulatory protections in place.

This consultation sought stakeholder views around a range of potential actions the Government could take to limit unhealthy food marketing to children. CHF largely agrees with all of the potential actions proposed in the consultation paper and advocates for the actiosn ot be taken with the broadest possible parameters to maximise their effectiveness and opporuutnity to succeed.

15 March 2024 — Consumer Voices

Consumer Voices - 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement

Consumers Health Forum

In this edition of Consumer Voices:

  • Australian Government announcement about the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement
  • Watch recent webinar replays about Climate change and health and the Scope of Practice Review.  
  • Join a consumer panel for people who uise Life Suport Technology at home. 

View the newsletter

12 March 2024 — Submission

Submission to the Health Technology Assessment Review: Options Paper, Consultation 2

Consumers Health Forum

At the heart of CHF’s policy agenda is consumer-centred care, which includes advocating for a consumer-centred Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process. CHF appreciates the opportunity to provide consumer insight into Consultation 2 of the Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC) Health Technology Assessment Review.

The content of these discussions is organised below in 5 topics, which mirror those presented in the HTA Consultation 2 Options Paper. The options paper can be found on the Office of Health Technology Assessment (OHTA) Consultation Hub: Policy and Methods Review - Consultation 2

CHF's submission was originally put forward to the HTA Review Reference Committee via an external survey run by company Bastion Designs, advertised via the Consultation Hub.

The document below presents the content of our submission, drafted in a way that is more accessible and easier to read.

29 February 2024 — Consumer Voices

New medicines released for 60-day prescriptions

Consumers Health Forum

In this edition of Consumer Voices:

  • New medicinces released for 60-day prescriptions on 1 March 2024
  • CHF saddened by news that State Health Consumers Peak Body for Victoria announced it is closing on 7 March 2024.  
  • CEO, Elizabeth Deveny talks to the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney MP 

View the newsletter

14 February 2024 — Consumer Voices

CHF advocacy in action

Consumers Health Forum

In this edition of Consumer Voices:

  • Consumers Health Forum visits Parliament House
  • CHF advocates for ‘Understanding Medicare – Understanding Your Health’ community education sessions across Australia. 
  • Patient-Reported Indicated Surveys (PaRIS) Report 

View the newsletter

Pages