I believe that as healthcare professionals, it is important for us to be a voice for our patients who cannot, or are not in a position to speak up for themselves. Persistence is an important part of advocacy. For so many years my patient’s oral health struggles remained unheard, unseen and invisible. It was privilege to bring visibility to my patient’s struggles to the South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the Honourable Chris Picton, Gemma Paech, Minister Picton’s Chief of Staff, and Peter Jensen, Health Adviser to Minister Picton, and have a fruitful discussion on avenues to improve equitable access to oral healthcare for South Australians. Thank you to all the oral health advocates who have come before me and continue to advocate for our patients – their struggles are being seen and our collective voices are being heard.
Patient advocacy
