16/09/2025
Humble beginnings - Patients Australia formerly The Australian Patients Association (APA) was aptly born at a hospital bedside. Its origins lie in the raw, lived experience of its founder, Michael Riley, whose father endured a flawed journey through the NSW health system during cancer treatment and end-of-life care in 2010.
Despite having top-tier private health insurance, Michaelâs father faced repeated communication breakdowns among hospital staff, inappropriate behaviour from non-clinical staff and serious out-of-pocket expenses. The family, like many others, encountered silence and inaction when raising concerns with hospital administrators. It became clear to Michael that his family's ordeal wasnât unique and that many others were quietly suffering through similar healthcare failings.
The turning point came when a fellow visitor casually remarked, âWhat we really need is a patientsâ association.â That idea stuck. With a background in lobbying and communication, some in the health sector, Michael turned frustration into action, establishing the APA to champion the rights of patients and push for system-wide change.
Michael brought together a passionate leadership team of Dr. Maurice Fabiani as the inaugural Chairperson and Steve Mason as CEO. Together, they built a board, launched advocacy campaigns and began raising the profile of patient issues in media and political circles.
