In 2000, the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) advised that all Metropolitan Health Services should establish a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Three factors influenced this decision:

• An acknowledgement of the fact that the quality and accessibility of the public health care system is of considerable importance to the community.
• The findings of published literature suggesting that increased community and consumer participation improves quality and safety of health care.
• Recognition of the rights of individual consumers to participate in decision making about their health care, and evidence showing that this involvement improves health outcomes (DHS, 2001).

In response to this requirement, Peter Mac established a committee in accordance with the DHS Community Advisory Committee Guidelines. Members were selected for their ability to represent the wider community in terms of ethnicity, age, gender, illness/disability, consumer/carer role, socio-economic status and geography. A strong understanding of consumer rights was seen as advantageous, as was the ability to work well with others and respect differing opinions. Members with strong community links and a capacity to reflect on community issues rather than personal concerns were sought. An introductory session was held in April 2001 and the first meeting conducted on June 20th 2001.

The Community Advisory Committee reports to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute Board. The minutes are forwarded to the Board and to the executive team via the Chair. Executive committee members are invited to meetings. A member of the senior executive is responsible for the consumer participation portfolio and ensures effective communication back to the executive committee and offers senior management support.

The accountability/reporting function to the broader community is via the Peter Mac Annual Report, the Quality of Care Report, Peter Mac’s Quarterly Newsletter and its website.

Committee membership has been reviewed annually since the inception of the CAC. Membership has changed over the 5 years of the committee’s existence but a core group has provided important continuity and experience.

A board member, a member of the senior executive, the Patient Advocate (acting as the CAC resource person) and a committee secretary, support a committee of 10 lay members. Members receive an orientation at Peter Mac and are provided with regular training and updates from the CEO and other senior staff.

As at February 2007 the membership of the Community Advisory Committee is as follows:

The Community Advisory Committee has two critical roles:

• To provide direction and leadership in relation to the integration of consumer, carer and community views into all levels of Peter Mac’s health service operations, planning and policy development.
• To advocate to the Board on behalf of the community, consumers and carers.

The Community Advisory Committee is appointed in an advisory capacity to the Board and has the responsibility to:

• Advise the Board on consumer, carer and community views so they are recognized and reflected in service delivery, planning and policy development.
• Identify and advise the Board on priority areas and issues requiring consumer and community participation.
• Participate in the organisation’s strategic planning process.
• Develop a strategic community participation plan for approval by the Board and monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the approved plan.
• Advocate on behalf of the community, including promotion of greater attention and sensitivity to needs of disadvantaged, isolated and marginalized consumers and communities.
• Facilitate a two-way communication between consumer, carer and community groups and Peter Mac’s health service.
• Participate in the monitoring of key performance indicators for quality of service across the organization.
• Assist in the identification of development and training needs in relation to consumer, carer and community participation and make recommendations to the board on how to meet these needs.

The Committee develops its work priorities on an annual basis and prepares a biennial Community Participation Plan for the Department of Human Services. Key Objectives in the 2006 – 2008 Community Participation Plan are to:

• Increase consumer participation input into Peter Mac Service Planning and Delivery
• Increase staff awareness of Consumer Participation
• Ensure Consumer Participation from all consumers, especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, disabled persons and senior citizens.
• Increase community awareness of consumer role at Peter Mac.

Progress towards stated goals is reported annually in the Community Participation Report. The key performance measures used in relation to community/consumer participation are:

• Number of consumers on the Community Advisory Committee and the Consumer Register
• Number of consumers involved on committees, process improvement teams, focus groups etc.

The Community Advisory Committee has made a significant contribution since it was established in 2001. Some of these include:

• Promoting discussion about cultural diversity and assisting in the development of strategies to address this issue. Ms Merle Mitchell raised awareness of this issue during a Grand Rounds Session in 2005 and addressed the Department of Human Services Health Issues Conference in the same year. A copy of her paper, How well do Community Advisory Committees Respond to Cultural Issues can be downloaded at www.healthissuescentre.org.au, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Presentation, Victorian Consumers Participate in Health Conference, 12th October 2005.
• Promoting moves toward a smoke-free hospital – after several years of lobbying and the interim measure of a smoking room, this will be achieved on World Tobacco Day, May 2007.
• Input into the founding of a Patient Information and Support Centre
• Review of patient information materials to reduce medical terminology and promote patient understanding.
• Review of food services at Jay Jay’s Café.
• Review of plans for the refurbished Day Chemotherapy Unit
• Participation in the development, production and evaluation of a chemotherapy video for patients and their families.
• Participation in the production of the annual Quality of Care Report.
• Participation in discussions about the possible redevelopment/renaming of the Hospital chapel.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the committee has been to attain consumer representation on a large number of key committees within and external to the organization. Consumer representatives now participate on the:

• Board Quality Committee
• Ethics Committee
• Clinical Governance Committee
• Patient Identification Expert Working Party
• Expedited Review Committee for patient and staff quality activities and low risk ethical projects
• Patient Information and Education Committee
• Cultural Diversity Committee
• Education Committee
• Pain Management Steering Committee
• Volunteer Advisory Committee
• Bendigo Radiotherapy Support Group
• Harnessing Inner Strength Committee
• Western and Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service
• Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service
• Department of Human Services Participation Advisory Committee
• Primary Health Population Care Advisory Committee
• O/P Improvement & Innovation Committee
• Survivorship Research Committee
• Food Services Quality Committee
• OHS Cancer & Palliative Care Supportive Care Advisory Committee
• DHS CAC Evaluation Advisory