Frequently Asked Questions - Content Updated January 15 2009

Section 1: The VACS Schedule
Section 2: Approval for New Clinics
Section 3: Clinic Changes
Section 4: The VACS Panel
Section 5: Counting rules
Section 6: VACS Base Grant
Section 7: VACS Funding & Target Setting

Section 4: The VACS Panel

How often does the VACS Panel meet?

The VACS Clinical Panel meets annually, usually in late April, pre the budget process.

Who attends the VACS Panel meetings?

The VACS Clinical Panel is comprised of eminent senior clinicians from a range of specialties and representatives from the field and the Department of Human Services.

What is the role of the VACS Panel?

Formal establishment of clinic schedules for funding purposes is undertaken by the VACS Clinical Panel. Hospitals advise the Department of proposed new clinics which are submitted annually to the VACS Clinical Panel for approval. The Panel reviews new clinic requests to assess whether they appropriately meet the criteria for inclusion in VACS.

The Panel also considers specified grant applications in the context of the criteria for inclusion in VACS and whether they are appropriate as grants or clinics. The Panel does not have a brief for approving funding for clinics, only their inclusion. The Panel may also consider policy changes to the
VACS model (for instance midwives requesting to be counted the same as medical specialists under the VACS category 402).

What happens if I open a new clinic after the Panel has met? Can I still run it even if it hasn’t been approved?

Yes, as long as new clinics are operating within hospital VACS targets set at the beginning of the financial year as published in the Victoria – Public hospitals and mental health services Policy and Funding Guidelines: see also Section 7: VACS Funding & Target Setting.

However, should the VACS Clinical Panel not approve a clinic which has already commenced reporting activity to AIMS (on the S9_111 form), this activity should be retracted from AIMS for the current financial year. The clinic will also be removed from the VACS schedule and will no longer be funded under the VACS system.

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Contact: Nermin Songur (03) 9096 7897 or Teresa Barton (03) 9096 7221