That the Department of Health:

Patient outcomes and performance management

Infection control outcome data over the past decade show improvements against some, but not all, indicators. However, the department may not be aware of all areas in need of improvement because it does not analyse the infection data it collects adequately.

The Victorian health system is generally effective at managing and reducing infection rates, and has well developed systems and processes to monitor and report infections in public hospitals. However, there is variation in hand hygiene compliance rates among healthcare worker groups, and heart bypass surgery infection rates have seen no improvement over 10 years.

Infections are the most common complication affecting hospital patients. People can bring infections acquired in the community with them into hospital, or they can acquire an infection during their hospital stay—known as healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Infections prolong hospital stays, increase costs and can cause significant harm to patients, some of whom die as a result.

Ordered to be printed

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2013

PP No 232, Session 2010–13

In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 a copy of this report, or relevant extracts, were provided to the departments of Human Services, Treasury and Finance, Premier and Cabinet, Health, and Justice with a request for submissions or comments.

The submissions and comments provided are not subject to audit nor the evidentiary standards required to reach an audit conclusion. Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.

Responses were received as follows:

Figure C1

Innovation Action Projects (IAP) as at December 2012

Figure B1

Victorian Homelessness Action Plan 2011–2015 (VHAP) components and progress as at December 2012

Figure A1

Outputs of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH)