How we support health services
We work with clinicians, researchers and consumers to help health services deliver better, safer healthcare.
We support health services to:
- prevent and learn from patient harm
- respond to safety risks or issues and prevent harm
- review adverse events
- understand data and identify areas to improve
- identify and deliver service improvements
- engage with consumers
- drive improvement through targeted projects and training
- develop best practice clinical guidance and resources
- access evidence-based clinical resources
- undertake research
- participate in clinical trials and research.
We have expertise in:
- clinical and professional leadership
- safety
- quality improvement
- governance, strategy and research.
Reporting
To learn more about our past work and future plans, see our Corporate plans and reports page.
- strategic plans
- annual plans
- annual reports.
Leadership
Safer Care Victoria (SCV) is led by our chief executive officer who reports directly to the Secretary of the Department of Health, and is supported by our executive leadership team.
We work closely with the department and other government agencies to ensure our health services support is collaborative and solution focused.
SCV is an administrative office of the Department of Health under Section 11 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
Our expertise
Safety
Our safety work involves:
- continuously monitoring the Victorian healthcare system to identify potential risks of poor outcomes
- taking proactive measures and collaborating with stakeholders to prevent these outcomes from occurring
- detecting instances of poor outcomes through safety and quality signal monitoring within the Victorian healthcare system
- initiating actions to reduce the risk of recurrence and enhance patient safety
- building capability and skill in improvement, co-design and clinical governance across the health care system to align safety and improvement.
- leading the implementation of the Partnering in Healthcare framework, promoting meaningful consumer engagement across SCV, the Department of Health, and the broader Victorian health system.
Improvement
Our improvement work involves:
- specialising in healthcare improvement, co-design and innovation
- leading high-impact improvement initiatives, partnering with health services and consumers to enhance health outcomes for Victorians
- developing and sustaining a network of clinical and improvement experts to drive continuous system improvement
- overseeing the design and implementation of the Safer Together Program* which focuses on 4 key domains:
- Reducing avoidable harm
- Value-based health care
- Reducing avoidable admissions
- Safe use of medicines
- implementation of key reforms through Mental Health Improvement Program initiatives:
- the Victorian Medicines Formulary
*The program includes the 100,000 Lives Initiatives: Aiming to improve care and outcomes for 100,000 Victorians by 30 June 2026.
Governance, strategy and research
Our governance, strategy and research work involves:
- facilitating the operationalisation of strategy and ensures compliance for SCV as an administrative body
- managing relationships with key stakeholders, including the Coroners Court of Victoria and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC)
- supporting the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity(CCOPMM) and the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council (VPCC)
- coordinating the Gender Equality Progress Report
- guiding experienced and early-career researchers to conduct research and clinical trials through provision of best practice processes
- supporting regional rural and remote healthcare services to participate in the Australian Teletrial Program (ATP)
- providing all public health services access to high-quality clinical resources via the Clinician’s Health Channel.