Listen Before You Dismiss

20/10/2026

💙 LISTEN BEFORE YOU DISMISS

Because the people providing care deserve to be heard, too.

Today marked an encouraging step forward for Listen Before You Dismiss.

Following a positive and constructive meeting, I gained a greater understanding of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network's Listen, Care, Learn & Heal initiative.
This approach recognises something incredibly important: healthcare staff need opportunities to be heard, supported and valued, just as patients do.

A November 2025 executive summary reported positive wellbeing outcomes among staff participating in Listen Huddles. It also identified concerns raised by healthcare consumers about communication, empathy, unclear explanations and the importance of genuine apologies.

These findings reinforce something I believe strongly.

We cannot build a healthcare system that truly listens to patients without also listening to the people caring for them.

I was encouraged to learn that work is continuing to bring together the experiences of healthcare staff and patients alike, helping identify opportunities for meaningful improvements in care.

While there is still work to be done, recognising these efforts and encouraging continued progress is important.

Throughout my own healthcare experiences, I've encountered shortcomings that deserve attention and accountability.

But I've also encountered extraordinary compassion.

One nurse, in particular, demonstrated the professionalism, kindness and genuine care that every patient deserves. I've nominated him for recognition because excellence in healthcare should never go unnoticed.

Healthcare professionals also deserve to feel safe, supported and heard within the systems they work in.

Listen Before You Dismiss is about more than identifying what goes wrong.
It's about recognising what goes right, supporting those who make a difference, and encouraging meaningful improvements for everyone involved.
Our campaign remains committed to listening, learning and advocating for a healthcare system where patients and staff are treated with dignity, respect and compassion.

When we support the people providing care, we help create better care for the people receiving it.

Because meaningful change begins when we listen.

💙 Everyone deserves to be heard.

Listen Before You Dismiss

18/10/2026

💙 WE'RE LIVE!

The official Listen Before You Dismiss campaign website is here!

Every patient deserves to be heard before they're judged.

Listen Before You Dismiss is a patient-led campaign advocating for safer, more compassionate and accountable rural healthcare across Australia.

We believe that when someone asks for medical help, their concerns should be met with respect, not dismissal.

Our new website is a place to learn about the campaign, understand what we're asking for, follow our progress and find ways to get involved.

💙 Sign the petition.
💙 Share our message.
💙 Add your voice.
💙 Help build better care.

🌐 www.listenbeforeyoudismiss.com

🔗 Link also available in our Instagram bio.

Because no one should have to fight to be taken seriously when asking for medical help.

Please share and help us spread the word. Every voice matters. 💙

14/10/2026

ONE FAMILY'S QUESTIONS DESERVE SERIOUS ANSWERS.

A recent news report about Cody, who died at just 46, describes his sister's concerns about the care he received at a regional hospital — including whether warning signs were visible before he was discharged.

These are serious questions. The full circumstances deserve proper examination, and a news report alone cannot establish what went wrong or whether his death could have been prevented.

But this story is a heartbreaking reminder of why listening matters.

Patients deserve thorough assessments, respectful communication and safe discharge processes.

Families deserve clear explanations and honest answers.

And when concerns are raised, healthcare systems should be able to demonstrate what was investigated, what was learned and what has changed.

Listen Before You Dismiss continues to call for an independent review of rural patient-care standards and practical clinical training, informed by lived experience, with clear responsibilities, timeframes and transparent reporting.

We recognise the many dedicated healthcare workers providing excellent care. Our campaign is about making good care consistent, safe and accountable.

Listen before you dismiss. Because sometimes there isn't another chance to listen. 💙

Please support and share our petition:

https://c.org/zbqNHhqPLP

Cody visited a regional hospital three times in six days – yet his sister claims the condition that killed him at just 46 was visible on a scan before he was sent home. 🔗 READ MORE: https://bit.ly/4epssqY

12/10/2026

💙 WHAT DOES ‘MEASURED’ ACTUALLY MEAN?

In healthcare, we measure so many things.

Policies. Targets. Complaints. Surveys. Documentation. Processes.

But there's something that deserves just as much attention.

Did the person receiving care actually feel heard?

Being asked a question isn't always the same as being understood.

Having a concern documented isn't always the same as having it taken seriously.

And being told that improvements are underway isn't the same as knowing whether those improvements are making a difference.

At Listen Before You Dismiss, we're asking for more than promises.

We're asking for communication that patients can trust, safer handovers, respectful care and accountability that leads to meaningful improvements.

Not because healthcare workers don't care.

But because listening, understanding and following through matter.

💙 We'd like to hear from you.

When you raised a concern in hospital, did you feel genuinely heard?

What made the difference — or what was missing?

You can share your thoughts below or message the page privately. Please protect the privacy of patients and healthcare workers when commenting.

Listen Before You Dismiss
Because being heard should never be just a box that's ticked.

Support the petition: https://c.org/zbqNHhqPLP
(Or see link in bio)

03/10/2026

WE ASKED FOR THE DATA.
NOW WE’RE ASKING FOR THE RECORDS.
Listen Before You Dismiss asked LCLHN for Mount Gambier-specific patient experience and quality information.
LCLHN advised that the information requested is not routinely published or maintained in one consolidated document or dataset, and directed us to Freedom of Information for access to existing records.
So we followed that pathway.
A targeted FOI application has now been lodged seeking existing records relating to:
• Patient experience
• Complaints and feedback
• Clinical handover
• Discharge information
• Escalation pathways
• Quality improvement
We don’t know what those records will show.
And we won’t pretend we do.
We’ll read the evidence carefully, verify what it supports, and report responsibly on what we find.
Evidence before assumptions.
Accountability through transparency.
Listen Before You Dismiss.

03/10/2026

WE ASKED FOR THE DATA.
NOW WE’RE ASKING FOR THE RECORDS.

Listen Before You Dismiss asked LCLHN for Mount Gambier-specific patient experience and quality information.
LCLHN advised that the information requested is not routinely published or maintained in one consolidated document or dataset, and directed us to Freedom of Information for access to existing records.

So we followed that pathway.

A targeted FOI application has now been lodged seeking existing records relating to:
• Patient experience
• Complaints and feedback
• Clinical handover
• Discharge information
• Escalation pathways
• Quality improvement

We don’t know what those records will show.
And we won’t pretend we do.

We’ll read the evidence carefully, verify what it supports, and report responsibly on what we find.
Evidence before assumptions.
Accountability through transparency.
Listen Before You Dismiss.

22/09/2026

Ever left an appointment wondering what something meant?

Medical language can be confusing. Asking for an explanation is okay.

💙 Plain language matters.
💙 Questions deserve time.
💙 Understanding matters.

Good care includes making sure the person receiving it knows what's being explained.

Save or share this reminder.

LISTEN BEFORE YOU DISMISS

Support the campaign through the link in our bio.

22/09/2026

GOOD CARE SHOULDN'T REQUIRE A MEDICAL DICTIONARY.

A patient can hear every word a healthcare professional says and still walk away confused.

Medical language may be familiar to staff. It isn't always familiar to the person receiving care.

Taking time to explain something in plain language, welcome questions and check understanding can make a real difference.

Clear communication is part of respectful, safer care.

💙 Listen Before You Dismiss.

If this message matters to you, please share it with someone.

Support the campaign: https://c.org/zbqNHhqPLP

20/09/2026

CHANGE ISN'T PROVEN BECAUSE A POLICY EXISTS. IT'S PROVEN WHEN PRACTICE CHANGES.

A new policy can be written.
Training can be delivered.
Commitments can be made.

But none of those things, on their own, prove that patients are receiving better care.

The real test is what happens when someone walks through a hospital door.

Are their concerns taken seriously?

Is their physical health assessed without assumptions?

Are changes in their condition recognised and acted upon?

Are they involved in decisions about their care?

And when something goes wrong, is anyone checking whether the response actually prevents it from happening again?

These aren't unreasonable expectations. They are fundamental questions about patient safety, accountability and trust.

Rural healthcare professionals work under significant pressure, and many provide exceptional care every day. They deserve systems that support them to do their jobs well.

Patients deserve those systems too.

Listen Before You Dismiss is calling for an independent review of rural patient-care standards and clinical training, informed by lived experience and backed by clear responsibilities, realistic timeframes and transparent reporting on progress.

Not simply another policy on a shelf.

Not another commitment without a way to measure its impact.

Real improvements that patients, families and healthcare workers can see in practice.

Because a person's safety should never depend on whether promised improvements have made it beyond the paperwork.

💙 HELP TURN THIS CONVERSATION INTO ACTION.

✍️ Sign the petition: https://c.org/zbqNHhqPLP

📣 Share this post with someone who believes rural healthcare deserves strong, accountable standards.

💬 Have you experienced a gap between what a healthcare service promises and what happens in practice? You're welcome to share your experience respectfully.

Every patient deserves to be heard. Every concern deserves to be taken seriously.

LISTEN BEFORE YOU DISMISS

16/09/2026