CPD and Sydney University's Australian Health Policy Institute presented a joint seminar on the use of citizen juries to improve outcomes in health policy decisions on Thursday 18 October at the University of Sydney.
How can political parties work out what the citizens of Australia really want from their health services? Gavin Mooney thinks the answer lies not in opinion polling or sham ‘consultations', but in citizens' juries.
Consumer and community voices need to be centrally involved in both discussing and influencing government decision making. Tony McBride outlines a plan for involving Australian citizens in the health reform process
The biggest problem affecting the planning of Australian health services is the failure to set priorities in a rational, informed and comprehensive way. Priority setting is about making choices based on resource limitations; not only choosing what to do but also what not to do, writes Gavin Mooney
Gavin Mooney rejects the Federal Health Minister’s concern that citizens’ juries subcontract out political decision-making processes. Mooney clarifies that citizens’ juries recommend the principles that should underpin health services. Others, such as the Minister, still make the decisions. This assists rather than undermines political decision making. Mooney calls for $1 million to fund 20 juries around the country which would then be followed by a national summit on the results.
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