Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council Member - Consumer Representative

The Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council (VPCC or the council) was established as a multidisciplinary council in 2019 to improve public health and wellbeing by identifying causes and themes of preventable harm in perioperative care across the Victorian health sector; and to disseminate relevant information and practical strategies to improve care before, during and after surgery and interventional procedures.

The VPCC identifies improvement opportunities in perioperative care and shares these with the health sector for the benefit of patients, their families, and the wider health care community.

The surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, consumers and other specialists that make up the council bring a diversity of expertise, perspective and lived experience.

The council has two subcommittees – one to focus on review of anaesthesia-related mortality and morbidity and the other to focus on review surgical and procedural mortality and morbidity. Relevant disciplines or specialties can be co-opted to ensure case reviews are conducted with sufficient specialist expertise.

The council may hold workshops, form working groups and commission other activities as necessary. The council works with key stakeholders to fulfil its functions under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

VPCC draws case-related data from coronial depositions, mortality reports to the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality (VASM), selected Sentinel Events, and voluntary reporting. A Declaration of Quality Assurance Activity under section 124X of the Health Insurance Act 1973 extended the Qualified privilege of VASM to include the participation of the VPCC.

In 2021, VPCC identified a cluster of cases admitted to Victorian hospitals with serious complications of liposuction. In collaboration with DH, VPCC has developed a Victorian guideline for the safe practice of liposuction in day hospitals and to inform consumers of safety considerations.

The principal function of the council is to identify and report on issues relating to the provision of perioperative care in Victoria. The council will make recommendations to help health services and medical practitioners improve clinical practice and systems of care.

It will also provide advice to the Minister for Health, the Department of Health and Human Services and Safer Care Victoria on strategies to improve the quality and safety of perioperative care in Victoria.

Members are expected to attend at least 75% of meetings annually. There are four meetings quarterly of VPCC and also its subcommittees.

The council also considers information from its subcommittees and other stakeholders and contributes to the production of guidelines, recommendations and annual report on the activities of the council.

The council can raise safety concerns through Safer Care Victoria or directly with the Minister of Health.

A consumer representative with:

Experience in consumer advocacy activities (paid or unpaid) via the not-for-profit, community or government arena

Experience representing and advocating for a broad range of consumer perspectives in healthcare in the last 5 years within Victoria

Demonstrate first-hand experience and knowledge of the Victorian health care system.

The suitable nominee will:

Demonstrate experience of working with consumer groups and the broader consumer community

Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the challenges facing consumers and carers/family members accessing and receiving care and experiences of acute care services and ideas for change.