Victorian Quality Council

The Victorian Quality Council (VQC) is responsible for fostering better quality health services in Victoria by working with stakeholders to develop useful tools and strategies to improve health service safety and quality.

The VQC commenced its third term in July 2008 with a revised terms of reference and membership. For further information visit the About Council section of this website.

What’s new

Resources for doctors to initiate and engage in effective advance care planning conversations
Doctors recognise the importance of enhancing their knowledge, confidence and communication skills to engage in effective conversations with patients and their families/carers about advance care planning and end-of-life care. The Next Steps: Having Conversations on Life and Death project involved the development of resources to assist doctors to initiate and engage in advance care planning conversations.

For further information about The Next Steps see Training resources for doctors

Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Form
Inter-hospital patient transfer is a frequent and important part of the Victorian health care system. Following the development and piloting of a generic inter-hospital transfer form (IHTF), the full VQC and the Health Secretary has endorsed the implementation of the IHTF across all Victorian health services.

For further information please see The Inter-Hospital Transfer Project and IHTF Current Status.

Talking With Your Doctor resources
It is very important for an individual to seek, understand and use health information to make informed decisions. Improving the clinical conversation can help influence patient outcomes and improve the patient experience. The Talking With Your Doctor guide and DVD aims to help older Victorians get the most out of their conversations with their doctor.

For further information see Talking With Your Doctor resources and Health Literacy

Victorian Patient Safety Climate Survey
Improving patient safety culture in the clinical setting has been identified as a means to improving patient safety. The VQC partnered with the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) to pilot a Victorian Patient Safety Climate Survey.

For further information please see the Victorian Patient Safety Climate Survey (VPSCS) Pilot Project and subsequent actions.

VQC Clinical Leadership in Quality and Safety (CLiQS) pilot program
Effective clinical leadership is known to be an important driver of health care quality and safety improvement. On this basis, the VQC has engaged a provider to develop and deliver a leadership program that explores how best-practice clinical leadership can be applied in a practical way to address quality and safety issues within health care settings. The 9-month pilot program will comprise a range of delivery modes beginning with a one-day workshop scheduled in early December 2011.

For further information see Clinical Leadership in Quality and Safety (CLiQS)

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The forum aimed to increase awareness of current evidence and practice on reporting Q&S performance measures to the board.

The objective of the forum was to document and disseminate current evidence and practice on reporting Q&S performance measures to the board, and to identify additional educational resources (toolkits, training) that health service executives and board members may require to aid reporting, monitoring and governance of safe, high quality care.

The following presentations are available:

1.  Introducing the Forum on Reporting Q&S Performance Measures to the Board
2.  Evidence on reporting Q&S Measures to the Board
3.  Southern Health Experience on reporting Q&S Measures to the Board
4.  Wimmera Health Care Group Experience on reporting Q&S Measures to the Board
5.  How do you build board capability

International fellowship opportunities for emerging leaders in health care quality and safety
Applications for the 2011–12 funding round of the Victorian Travelling Fellowship Program closed on 28 March 2011. Successful applicants will be announced in late May.

The Victorian Travelling Fellowship Program offers public health care sector employees with an opportunity to travel overseas to investigate innovative approaches to identified health care quality and safety issues.

For further information including how to apply, see the Victorian Travelling Fellowship Program website.

The VQC Qualitycast Series
The VQC has recently produced a second series of podcasts based on on the work of the 2010-11 Victorian Quality Council Travelling Fellows program.

To find out more and to listen to all six in the series, see the Qualitycast page.

Victorian TeamSTEPPS Pilot Project
EOI submissions have now closed for this project. Learn more about the TeamSTEPPS Pilot Project.

Victorian Pilot Patient Safety Climate Survey (VPPSCS) Project
The survey period has now closed. Learn more about the Victoria Pilot Patient Safety Climate project.

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