Recommendation 1:That The Alfred continue to review and apply its quality assurance processes to minimise delays to patient admissions and clinic appointments at the hospital.

Recommendation 2:That an ongoing program of formal education and in-servicing of staff in issues relating to HIV/AIDS treatment in all areas of The Alfred be maintained, particularly in those areas where HIV/AIDS patients are received and treated.

Recommendation 3:That, in consultation with other service providers, migrant centres and other relevant community agencies, The Alfred seek to provide relevant information in a suitable form to people from other cultures and language backgrounds on the range of services available and how they may be accessed.

Recommendation 4:That the services offered by the Access Information Centre continue to be promoted to consumers and service providers.

Recommendation 5:That The Alfred continue to review and apply its quality assurance mechanisms to discharge planning processes and the provision of relevant and timely information to patients and relevant community-based service providers.

Recommendation 6:That, as a matter of urgency, services in the fields of psychiatry, drug and alcohol treatment and gynaecology for patients with HIV/AIDS be expanded.

Recommendation 7:That the proposed development and relocation of the Continuing Care Ward at The Alfred be progressed as a priority, with the needs of HIV/AIDS patients incorporated in its design.

Recommendation 8:That, in consultation with RMH and community-based providers, The Alfred review its current services at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, to ensure that services provided to the target population in the area are commensurate with their needs.

Recommendation 9:That The Alfred review the hours of operation and other arrangements of the pharmacy on Ward 7 West with a view to providing improved after-hours access either on-site or through community-based pharmacies.

Recommendation 10:That as part of its education and training program, The Alfred undertake a needs-based assessment of educational needs and requirements of community-based providers of services.

Recommendation 11:That a forum with representation from all stakeholder groups be established to develop a coordinated program of education, training and research in infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS) in Victoria, having regard to national, State and local priorities. (Applies also to VIDS).

Recommendation 12:That The Alfred maintain its approach to the strategic planning of services, involving stakeholders from all affected groups, including consumers and community-based providers.

Recommendation 13:That VIDS promote the availability of its services through medical practitioners and other media to the general public in order to raise awareness of its services.

Recommendation 14:That VIDS continue to review and apply its quality assurance processes to minimise delays to patient admissions and clinic appointments at the hospital.

Recommendation 15:That VIDS maintain its quality assurance mechanisms to ensure that continuity of care is maintained on discharge of patients.

Recommendation 16:That VIDS review and expand its in-servicing program to nurses and other staff in issues relating to infectious diseases.

Recommendation 17:That VIDS continue to develop and extend its client database, including measures of clinical outcomes specific to different diseases, to support the development of best practice models and performance monitoring.

Recommendation 18:That the resource capacity of VIDS required to maintain its current and proposed work program and leadership role be considered in any review of funding of the service.

Recommendation 19:That the current block funding of the services under review at The Alfred and RMH be sustained for a further 12 months.

Recommendation 20:That further investigation of alternative funding models be undertaken, based on the principles of:

Recommendation 21:That a program of self evaluation of HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases services at The Alfred and RMH be developed as part of the strategic planning of services, providing for input from all stakeholder groups, with reports to be provided annually to DHS.

Recommendation 22:That a cooperative approach to the development of condition-specific outcome indicators be implemented in conjunction with clinicians for the purpose of service monitoring, evaluation and development.

Recommendation 23:That a range of process and outcome measures be developed using the framework presented in this report to facilitate the evaluation of direct patient care services, as well as teaching, training and research activities at The Alfred and RMH.