An effective system of performance measurement and reporting is critical if government is to achieve its policy goals in a way that is transparent and accountable.
In Victoria, the performance measurement and reporting system aims to:
VAGO undertakes performance audits into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of public sector agencies and their operations to provide assurance to Parliament and drive public sector improvement. We aim to achieve this by identifying issues and making recommendations to agencies about how to address them. However, our recommendations cannot result in improvements unless they are accepted and enacted by public sector agencies.
In Victoria, the total value of public sector capital investments underway or commencing in 2014–15 is around $72 billion, including projects delivered as public private partnerships. This includes a commitment made in the 2014–15 Budget of up to $27 billion to build new road and rail infrastructure such as the $8 billion to $10 billion stage 2 of the East West Link and the $8.5 billion to $11 billion Melbourne Rail Link.
Timely and reliable patient information is fundamental to the effective planning, management and delivery of clinical healthcare. Advances in ICT are having a profound effect on healthcare service delivery and raising expectations that patient information will be readily available to clinicians in electronic rather than paper formats.
Occupational health and safety (OHS) covers staff health, safety and welfare in the workplace. OHS is particularly important in public hospitals because major hazards exist—such as exposure to infectious and chemical agents, manual handling of patients and materials, slips, trips, falls, and occupational violence. These hazards can lead to musculoskeletal injuries, acute traumatic injury, infections such as hepatitis and potentially even death. The impact of poor OHS is felt not just by affected staff, but also by the patients they are treating.
Good mental health is one of the foundations of a good life and a healthy society. The World Health Organisation broadly defines mental health as 'a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community'.
Almost 50 per cent of people aged 16 to 85 years will experience one or more mental illnesses—such as anxiety, mood and substance-use disorders—in their lifetime.
Public health services routinely use computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) scanners to diagnose, manage and treat medical conditions. These scanners take high-quality images of internal organs and tissues. They are now critical to clinical decisions at key points in a patient's treatment, and can significantly influence patient outcomes.
This report presents the outcomes and observations from the financial audits of the nine portfolio departments and the 201 associated entities that are not addressed in our other sector based reports, including the five Victorian alpine resorts.
Victorians rely on the state's emergency services organisations (ESO) for assistance during emergencies and crisis incidents and expect a prompt and effective response.
In Victoria, all Triple Zero calls are forwarded to a single organisation, the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA). ESTA is responsible for receiving emergency calls and dispatching emergency response vehicles and personnel. This centralised approach to emergency response call-taking and dispatching is unique in Australia and rare worldwide.
Victoria has benefited economically, socially and culturally from successive waves of immigration. Each group of migrants has had its own challenges, with low English proficiency often being a key barrier to accessing services effectively. However, the diversity and composition of these immigrants has changed in recent years.