Melbourne Health Community Advisory Committee

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Melbourne Health Community Advisory Committee
Strategically Evolves into the Future
Presented by Florence Kingsley-Matthews
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About Melbourne Health

• Major public health service in Victoria
• Provides patient services at The Royal
• Melbourne Hospital City Campus and Royal Park
• campuses, North West Dialysis Service and North
  Western Mental Health.
• Cared for more than 105,000 patients in 2006/07
  and provided 6,300 outpatients appointments
• Approximately 6,000 employees across 25 sites

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Melbourne Health CAC

• Community Advisory Committee established in 2001
• Committee comprises 6 consumer members and 2
  Board members
• Monitors implementation of a Community
  Participation Plan (revised every 3 years)
• Purpose of Plan to increase opportunities for
  consumers, carers and community to become active
  partners in decision making at all levels

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What do we mean by a strategic CAC
Influencing the big picture of consumer
participation

• 
  

Clinical Governance
Models of Care
Strategic Planning
Communication with community
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Why have we taken a more strategic approach?
To ensure consumer participation is seen as an
ongoing continuous activity rather than a series
of ad hoc projects

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How we were going to achieve this?

• By setting goals

Short term goal Work with departments to
encourage consumerparticipation and build
awareness of its effectiveness.
Long term goalFormally integrate consumer
participation into strategic and operational
plans and performance indicators.

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Working towards long-term goal

• Consumer involvement included as a Divisional
  Action in the 2007/08 Business Plan.
• Consumer participation included as a key enabler
  to achieving the objectives of the Clinical
  Governance Framework

These structures replace previous sporadic and
variable work in the area of consumer, carer and
community participation.
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Clinical Governance

• CAC members have been trained alongside
• staff to participate in Root Cause Analysis
  Working
• Groups to review adverse events.
• In 2007, a Key Performance Indicator was
  established to
• include consumer participants on 50 of Root
  Cause
• Analysis Workshops.

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Root Cause Analysis Comments from CAC members
I was very relieved that I could participate
without needing lengthy explanations or feeling I
was a nuisance
I was pleased that all concerned were able to
provide brief explanations that quickly enabled
me to understand all that I needed to proceed, in
a helpful and positive way
There was a great deal of respect for the
patient, interest in the family and potential
communication barriers considered as factors.
My participation was positive and well received
from staff
CAC membership was a very appropriate grounding
to participate in an RCA.
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Strategic Planning

• Consumer consultation in the development of
  Melbourne Healths Strategic Direction 2005-10
• Consumer consultation in Melbourne Healths
  Master Planning

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Service Development/Models of Care

• Consumer participation in the development of the
  RMH Service Plan to identify future service
  delivery that best meets the needs of the
  community
• Consumer participation in the new model of care
  for the RMH Emergency Department redevelopment

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Communication with the community

• The CAC developed Partnerships in Care, a
  statement of patient rights responsibilities
  that emphasises the importance of patients
  and clinicians working together.
• Consumers advised on content of the Information
  Booklet for patients and careers at RMH.
• Consumer contribution to Melbourne Healths
  Report to the Community on Quality.

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Other CAC activities
The CAC participated alongside Dieticians in a
20-course testing of food for the new patient
menu. Members filled in an assessment sheet for
each tasting, covering areas such as appearance,
taste and texture.
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What has been the CACs role
The role of the CAC has become one of advising
the Melbourne Health Board on the overall
strategy of community participation and
monitoring progress on implementation.

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How did we get here?

• The inclusion of consumer participation in
  organisational processes

• Giving the CAC a role in monitoring and evaluating

• Ensuring a systematic and sustainable approach

• Strong support and commitment from Executive and
  Management

• Being patient.