Bringing together his skills as a physiotherapist and his passion for helping consumers, Edward Ralph has taken on a dual role as Partnering with Consumers Coordinator and Physiotherapist in Bayside's Allied Health team.
“I’ve always enjoyed talking with people, particularly those from a different background to me. It’s a real privilege to get to know people as closely as we do, and such an opportunity to learn,” he said.
“I was excited to have the opportunity to support consumers to have more of a voice, it should go without saying that they can share their needs much better than we can.”
Edward says balancing both roles has been straightforward because of the support of both teams.
“I try to pivot my headspace (and workload!) dependent on the day. I don’t do any consumer work on my physio days, and vice versa,” he said.
Edward said he has been struck by the way language shaped how services and teams collaborated with those who used them.
“It’s a simple thing, but I think we should stop calling consumers ‘patients’.
“They are an equal and important partner in their healthcare team, and anything we can do to encourage their voice is a good thing.
“I’m excited to support the consumer group to grow, particularly getting more young people involved."
Please contact Edward via Bayside Partnering with Consumers; if you would like to learn more about how we partner with consumers.