Victorian Quality Council

Manager: Diana Quin
Enquiries: Tel (61 3) 9096 1385

The Victorian Quality Council (VQC) Unit comprises the secretariat to the VQC, known as the VQC Management Group. The VQC provides the Minister for Health with advice regarding the improvement of quality and safety of health services in Victoria. Activities that support quality improvement are identified in the Strategic Plan of 2005-08. The VQC has recently been evaluated to determine its effectiveness and what options should be considered into the future. The Minister for Health subsequently approved the continuation of VQC and extended its term to four years, with a more strategic high level focus on system wide sustainable quality improvement changes. The new terms of reference was also approved and they are outlined below:

In formulating their advice the Council is to focus upon sustainable strategies which:

1. Facilitate service providers and government access to and usage of data and information to effectively monitor and manage quality and safety.
2. Facilitate the systemic take up of evidence based practices demonstrated to improve the quality and safety of health service provision.
3. Test and integrate appropriate practice and management innovations which will contribute to sustainable quality and safety improvements.

The Council is required to:

1. Develop a targeted three/five year strategic plan which defines a high level work plan for endorsement by the Minister for Health.
2. Provide reports to the Minister for Health (quarterly) which:
   1. explain progress on the work program of the Council
   2. review and analyses critical issues
   3. advise on developments or policy refinements which the Council believe are required.
3. Respond to specific references or requests for advice provided by the Minister for Health.
4. Advise the Minister for Health of emerging or critical issues which, in the Councils view require Council attention and seek endorsement for this work.

In implementing these terms of reference the Council is required to:

• Consult with Department of Human Services regarding priorities and strategies in order to develop alignment with Departmental work on quality and safety.
• Establish collaborative working relationships with providers, clinical leaders, stakeholders and other quality related bodies and to the extent possible engage these bodies in shared leadership of quality and safety improvement.
• Communicate with the broad health sector about quality and safety issues and developments.
• Establish mechanisms which enable the Council to be informed about and engaged with consumer perspectives.
• Initiate projects which will:
  • demonstrate important systemic opportunities for improved quality and safety in the health system
  • be able to be effectively evaluated
  • be based on collaboration with relevant partners
  • be capable of being implemented sustainably across the health sector.

The new Council will be appointed from July 2008 until June 2012. Current VQC Unit activities focus on completing the work of the current Council and undertaking the necessary appointments process for the new VQC. For further information about the VQC, please go to the Victorian Quality Council website.