- Decide which areas of health interest you most. What motivates you to become involved in these matters? Do you want to work on issues relevant to many consumers such as privacy or focus on services, for example, for people with a particular condition?
- Join a consumer group involved in those areas.
- Gain experience in representing consumer interests at the local level through this group.
- Take the opportunity to subscribe to the e-newsletter, Consumer Voices or join CHF as an Individual Member to receive your own copy. See if there are any advertised committee vacancies which interest you.
- If you see a vacancy that does interest you, discuss it with your consumer organisation. If your consumer organisation will support you, then nominate for the vacancy by the deadline given and ask your consumer group to endorse your nomination. This letter gives CHF an indication of your links with a network of consumers from which you are able to draw insights and advice as a CHF nominated consumer representative. Please note that the health consumer group need not be a CHF member.
- If you are not able to provide a letter of endorsement from a supporting health consumer organisation, please provide sound demonstration of your links with a consumer base. This process ensures consumer representatives are placed with the confidence of consumers and have in place a consultative base enabling reps to draw from and report to consumers.