Citizens need a say in health policy: Choice

While health interest groups actively lobby health ministers and have input into the policy process, the general public are not able to access decision-makers, the organisation said.

"We want federal and state governments to work together to establish a national consultation process run by an independent organisation," said Choice senior health policy officer, Michael Johnston.

"Citizens and consumers have a democratic right to have a say in the priorities and values of Australia's future health system. It's their health and their money," Mr Johnston said.

The Centre for Policy Development and the Australian Health Policy Institute are hosting a seminar on "Citizen Engagement in Health Policy Reform" at the University of Sydney tomorrow night (Thursday 18 October).

Dr Dan Fox, president of the Milbank Fund, and Dr Lyn Carson, of the United States Studies Centre, will speak on different approaches to citizen engagement. Mr Johnston will then join a panel of policy experts to discuss the topic.

"This is a crucial turning point for health policy in Australia," he said. "A national dialogue with citizens and consumers will assist governments in making sense of the advice they receive from those in the health system, which is often technical and represents vested interests.

"This needs to be a new kind of consultation process. A combination of methods - for example: citizens' juries, roundtables and televoting, must be used to ensure a wide range of citizens are engaged in a meaningful and deliberative way," Mr Johnston said.