Current consultation opportunities
Let us know: How accessible and affordable are medical specialists?
Consumers of Mental Health WA wants to hear from people with lived experience of mental health challenges who have accessed, or attempted to access, medical specialists.
We want to understand what it is really like to find, access and afford specialist medical care — including the barriers people face and what could make access better.
Medical specialists could include psychiatrists, cardiologists, anaesthetists, oncologists, surgeons, ophthalmologists, dermatologists and others.
Your experiences will help inform CoMHWA’s submission to the House of Representatives inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.
Have your say
There are several ways you can contribute. You can choose whichever option works best for you.
Complete our survey
Share your experiences of accessing or attempting to access medical specialists through our online survey.
Join our focus group
Come along to a facilitated conversation with other people with lived experience and share your perspectives on accessing specialist medical care.
Thursday 25 September 2026
10am–1pm
Training Room 14
Consumers of Mental Health WA
12/275 Belmont Avenue, Cloverdale WA 6105
Participants will be paid $150, which includes payment for participation and an additional hour for travel.
Light morning tea will be provided, with a short break during the session. Peer support will also be available.
To register, email sysadvocacy@comhwa.org.au with your name and any access or dietary needs by 22 September 2026, or call 08 9258 8911.
Other ways to share your experience
A survey or focus group won’t work for everyone. You can also share your experience in another way.
You are welcome to:
- email us written feedback or a voice recording
- take part in an interview online, over the phone or in person at our Cloverdale office
- send us a written account of your experience
- contribute artwork or poetry
- talk to us about another way of participating that works better for you.
Written feedback, voice recordings and creative submissions can be sent to sysadvocacy@comhwa.org.au.
Need support or have questions?
If you have questions about the consultation, would like support to participate, or want to arrange another way to contribute, please contact Charles Foster, Senior Policy and Research Officer.
Email: cfoster@comhwa.org.au
Phone or text: 0434 830 239
We want people to be able to contribute in a way that works for them, so please let us know if there is something we can do to make participating more accessible.
About the inquiry
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability is conducting an inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.
CoMHWA will make a submission to the inquiry informed by the experiences and perspectives shared with us through this consultation.