The HCC has the free resources for you No images? Click here Update from the Acting Health Complaints Commissioner Welcome to this, our second update for the 2021/2022 financial year. We are delighted you enjoyed our first edition and welcome our new subscribers. Our annual report was tabled in Parliament at the end of November 2021 and is now available for you to view on our website. This year's report notes that around 5,250 complaints and 2,500 enquiries were received by the HCC during the past financial year. Investigations remained high. We commenced 49 investigations and finalised 32 into health providers who the Commissioner considered posed a serious risk to the health and safety or welfare of the public. A detailed breakdown of these figures, as well as information on who and what complaints were about, can be found throughout the report. We have also featured several case studies to illustrate the nature of the complaints we receive and how they are resolved, as well as some of the outcomes in the finalised complaints. We are always happy to speak with providers if you need clarity around the Code of Conduct, or assistance with dealing with a complaint about your practice. We support safe and ethical healthcare and exist to help resolve complaints about health services and the handling of health information, in a fair, impartial and independent manner. While we do this, our aim is always to resolve complaints promptly and in the least formal way possible. Give us a call on 1300 582 133 if you'd like further information or contact us via our website. In organisational news, a recruitment process is underway for a new Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner, to be appointed soon following the resignation of the previous Commissioner, Karen Cusack, in late 2021. As the inaugural Health Complaints Commissioner, Ms Cusack was committed to supporting quality and safety in healthcare for all Victorians and set up an effective regulatory framework for the functions of the office to ensure that we continue to support safe and ethical healthcare for all Victorians. In the interim, I am delighted to have this opportunity to support the incredible work of the organisation, delivering exceptional services to the people of Victoria. Finally, if you find this newsletter useful, please share it with your colleagues. If not, or if there is something else you'd prefer to see or have covered or information that may be important to you, do let us know. I wish you all the very best for the new year ahead.
Face Masks With the introduction of mandatory mask wearing during 2021, our office received many enquiries and complaints relating to mandatory mask wearing and where exemptions to the mandate could be applied. The Health Complaints Commissioner accepts that health service providers must implement measures which are reasonably necessary to protect the health and safety of staff, patients and visitors. You can find information on acceptable exemptions on our website and should also refer to the Victorian Government Coronavirus website for expanded information. Latest Prohibition Orders During the last three months the Commissioner has made several new Interim Prohibition Orders while we conduct investigations into general health service providers whom we reasonably believe have contravened a code of conduct. You can stay informed on our latest interim prohibition orders on our website. Major Sector-wide Inquiries — ART The HCC’s report on the Inquiry into Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) practices in Victoria was released by the Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon Martin Foley, MP in January 2021. The report made 17 recommendations regarding ART service provision in Victoria, including recommendations relating to improving communication between providers and patients and responding to complaints. During the Inquiry, there was strong engagement with the ART sector and a clear willingness to collaborate to improve ART service provision for Victorians. In the coming months, the HCC will be working closely with ART providers and staff to implement complaints handling improvements and drive areas of reform identified in the Inquiry’s report. If you are an ART provider, and you would like to be involved, please contact Dr Rosalind Hearder via email rosalind.x.hearder@hcc.vic.gov.au For information on our training and education seminars, to sign up for an upcoming session or to organise a seminar for your organisation, please visit our website or contact Rebecca Abbate to discuss. Education Seminars A little reminder that our two online modules, the General Code of Conduct and Health Records Act are always available on our website. We are keen to encourage you to undertake these when you can, or even take them again, if you feel you need a refresher. You can also access a certificate on completion, which may be useful for your ongoing professional development file. An overview of all available training and education seminars is also available. We encourage you to contact us if you would like to arrange a dedicated education seminar, tailored to your organisation's needs, or have a chat with us if there is something else you'd like. We do suggest however that these sessions are kept to approximately 30 attendees if possible, as this offers the best environment for questions and answers in the online setting. The new schedule of seminars for 2022 will soon be on our website, so we encourage you to book as soon as you can. All our training and education seminars are free to attend and are currently delivered in an online environment. Our Annual Report 2020–2021 In what was an extraordinary year, we are proud to have helped in excess of 7000 Victorians with their complaints and enquiries. We have been hard at work this past year to support safe and ethical healthcare in Victoria and to make our 2020-2021 Annual Report is now available. You can access a full suite of printable resources for general health service providers on our website. You may like to download a poster or two for your office or waiting area. We also have some documents and fact sheets, as well as publications available in 26 community languages on our translations page. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the office of the Health Complaints Commissioner is operating on remote staffing arrangements but we remain open. We appreciate your patience in these uncertain times. Please also check our website hcc.vic.gov.au for regular updates. If you have concerns or a complaint about a health service provider, you can contact us at 1300 582 113 or online via our complaint form www.hcc.vic.gov.au/make-complaint You are receiving this email as you or your organisation handle health information and complaints. View our Privacy Statement at www.hcc.vic.gov.au/privacy |