Health Quality & Safety Commission

Document name

Let’s plan for your next health care visit

Judges’ comments

This document is a nice example of a simple and clear public sector document for a wide audience. The tone and choice of words is excellent — especially the use of English and Te Reo Māori.

The purpose of this document is very clear and well explained in the heading and introductory paragraph. It has a logical structure and the headings are descriptive and useful.

The document is well designed and presented. It had good use of colour and font and white space. Well done!

Media statement

The Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) is excited to be a finalist in the 2022 Plain Language Awards. Documents that are clear and easy to understand are key to the Commission’s work in helping clinicians, providers, consumers and whānau to improve the quality and safety of health services in Aotearoa.

Everyone will encounter our health system at some point. During these times, it is important that consumers and their whānau understand what is happening and what their choices are. The Commission’s He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care team created the free resource ‘Let’s plan for your next health care visit’ to help people prepare for and get the best out of their health care visit. It is available alongside the resource ‘Let’s plan to leave hospital’, in multiple languages as well as audio, Braille, Easy Read, large print and New Zealand Sign Language.

The team are excited to have their hard work recognised as a finalist in the 2022 Plain Language Awards.

Anna Thomson
Editorial and publications advisor
Health Quality & Safety Commission