Consumer involvement across all aspects of a health service provides the opportunity for improvements and benefits for everyone. But successful consumer involvement requires active and ongoing executive leadership.

Your commitment as an executive commitment is important in the allocation of financial and human resources. But that leadership is equally important in setting relevant policies and priorities, including embedding consumer involvement in your organisation’s vision and strategy.

The best way to achieve widespread acceptance among staff is through consistent and clear executive leadership, inspiration and support.

Supporting consumer involvement

Active and ongoing executive leadership is essential. Some of the initial fundamentals to supporting consumer involvement are to:

• commit to resourcing, including staff, to lead consumer engagement
• find the right person to lead the work
• identify and support staff consumer champions
• set a budget for consumer training and other consumer-related expenditures.

Also see About consumer involvement and Getting started.