Education and resources – Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council (VPCC)

• ANZELA Second Report – James Aitken
• ERAS guidelines for emergency laparotomy – James Aitken
• Managing high risk patients in RMH Perioperative Care of Older Patients clinic – Rachel Aitken
• How predictive is NELA in Victoria and Australia? – John Keflianos, Douglas Stupart
• Risk adjusting mortality from administrative data – Marcela Cespedes (CSIRO)
• When there should be no laparotomy – James Aitken
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Angus Lee (Bendigo Health)
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Dennis Gyomber (Northern Health)
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Dr John Kefalianos (Surgical Registrar) (Grampians Health)
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Rose Shakerian (RMH)
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Simon Banting (St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne)
• Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy – Prof David Watters, Sonal Nagra, Prof Glenn Guest, Prof Douglas Stupart, Claudine Banal, Henna Iqbal (Barwon Health).

EL is a high-risk surgical procedure performed to address life-threatening abdominal conditions such as bowel perforation, obstruction, or sepsis. These surgeries carry significant morbidity and mortality risks, requiring timely intervention and high-quality perioperative care to improve patient outcomes.

The Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit – Quality Improvement (ANZELA-QI) was formed to address variations in care and outcomes for EL patients across Australia and New Zealand. This was based on a similar model of care, the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA), developed in the UK. ANZELA-QI aims to standardise care through data collection, benchmarking, and implementing evidence-based practices, ultimately enhancing patient safety, improving surgical outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs associated with complications and prolonged hospital stays.

The VPCC is highly supportive of the ANZELA-QI initiative, recognising its critical role in improving the quality and consistency of care for patients undergoing EL. To further this commitment, the VPCC hosted a workshop in November 2022. The workshop provided a platform for health services to share insights, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration, while also encouraging other health services across Australia and New Zealand to participate in the ANZELA-QI initiative. 

VPCC supports clear and timely communication about your perioperative care journey. To learn more about your perioperative journey, please visit My Surgical Journey.

If you are awaiting planned surgery and experience change in your condition, please contact the appropriate planned or elective list coordinator at your hospital. If you are under the care of a private specialist, you can also reach out to their office directly. 

When unexpected events occur during patient care, guidance is in place to ensure transparent communication between clinicians, hospitals, patients and their families or carers. 

• Open disclosure is a process of open and honest communication between healthcare practitioners and patient following an adverse event. 
• Statutory duty of candour is a legal obligation for Victorian health services to apologise and provide clear, honest communication when a serious adverse patient safety event occurs. This builds on the Australian Open Disclosure Framework, which applies to all incidents of harms or near misses. 

If your concerns remain unresolved or you are dissatisfied with the response, you may seek further assistance from the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC). The HCC is an independent organisation in Victoria that works to find solutions for complaints about healthcare, and the way organisations manage patients’ health information. The HCC can be contacted on 1300 582 113, or you can lodge an online complaint. 

If you have concerns about an individual clinician, please contact Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)’s website: how to raise a concern about a health practitioner. AHPRA can be contacted on 1300 419 495, or you can lodge a form.

For families experiencing difficult times following the passing of a family member, please visit the Coroner’s Court of Victoria’s website. If you would like guidance on which organisation is most appropriate for your concerns, please see the Coroner’s Court of Victoria fact sheet.