In this webinar, we look at the role of consumers as assessors in accreditation.

Hear from current consumer assessors and key leaders in the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS).

All Australian health service organisations are required to be accredited under eight standards that provide a nationally consistent statement about the level of care consumers can expect from health services. Partnering with Consumers is one of the standards.

Find out more about how you can be involved, including training and support options.

You will also hear

• what the accreditation process involves
• the roles and responsibilities of assessors
• how consumers can become assessors

The Panel 

Ms Ros Chataway

With over 40 years' experience working in the healthcare field in the public and private sector, Ros has managed the Safety, Quality and Risk Management Unit in the acute hospital setting and has been able to implement change in staff practices arising from the feedback that consumers provided to the unit. Ros is the immediate past President of the ACHSM (SA Branch) and is currently the National Board Member of the ACHSM and a member on the ACHS Council. Ros was re-elected to the Board of the Consumers Health Forum in November 2021. Ros also works part-time as an Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Assessor.

Mr Mark Diamond

With extensive work in the community services, health and aged care sectors in five state and territory jurisdictions over the past 40 years, Mark has a strong interest in rural and remote health, mental health, Indigenous health, primary health care and aged care. He is a Fellow, Life Member and former Board Director of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, former Board Director with Consumers Health Forum and an inaugural member of the Aged Care Workforce Remote Accord since its inception in 2019. He is a former quality assessor with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards.

Dr Karen Luxford

Group CEO, Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) & ACHS International. Dr Luxford has extensive experience in governance, strategic planning, safety and quality, leading organizational change and pioneered a range of person-centred care initiatives in Australia.

Ms Karen Edwards

Manager, Assessor Division ACHS, who has also been a Lead Assessor since 2008. Karen’s professional background is in nursing, and she has extensive experience in healthcare management as a CEO and Executive Manager in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in tertiary referral and specialist settings.

Dr Lena Low

Executive Director Corporate & Assessor Divisions at ACHS with wide-ranging experience in corporate, financial governance and operationalising healthcare accreditation systems and a doctorate specialisation in public health and community medicine. Dr Low has current experience as a Board member and leads surveys internationally for ISQuaEEA. 

Facilitated by:

Leanne Wells, CEO, Consumers Health Forum

Hosted by CHF and ACHS

Further information

If you would like further information, please contact Rebecca Edwards on email r.edwards@chf.org.au