Improving how ACC's "marginalised" consumer liaison group works will help restore overall community trust in the Corporation, Dunedin ACC campaigner Denise Powell says.
ACC's Consumers' Outlook Group (Cog), which advises ACC senior managers on consumer and ACC claimant issues, was established in 2003.
Dr Powell, who is president of Acclaim Otago, an ACC claimant support group, said Cog had probably made its greatest overall contribution between 2006, when she had become a member, and 2009.
The nine-strong national group had subsequently become "marginalised" and ineffective, but she hoped recent submissions to ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart and the ACC executive team would lead to a more positive role, she said.
ACC national figures show long-term ACC claimant numbers fell by more than 3600 or 25% to about 10,626 over the past three financial years.
In a recent letter to ACC accompanying the latest service agreement between the Government and the corporation, ACC Minister Judith Collins emphasised the need to rebuild community trust in the corporation, and ensure claimants received their legal entitlements.
Dr Powell said ACC had played a positive role in enabling three Cog workshop sessions to be held in recent months to consider a way forward.
She and Wellington Cog member Pati Umaga had also been given a constructive hearing when they made a presentation to Mr Stewart and colleagues last week suggesting Cog play a more proactive role, rather than commenting after decisions had already been made. ACC is still considering its response.
She wanted Cog to offer "a united influential consumer voice""If ACC can be seen to be working in a positive way with a consumer outlook group, that will go some way to restoring trust and confidence from a wider perspective.".
Cog representatives were seeking a "win-win" outcome, to help ACC claimant and community representatives become more effective, and also helping restore ACC's credibility, Dr Powell said.
