As the CEO of Safer Care Victoria and Victoria’s Chief Quality and Safety Officer, I would like to reassure Victorians in the role Safer Care Victoria plays and our active role in the oversight and support of quality and safety matters at Latrobe Regional Health.
Firstly, I would like to pass on my deep condolences to each of the families and their friends affected as they navigate this difficult time.
Safer Care Victoria (SCV) serves independently as Victoria’s lead quality and safety body, and the agency leading the implementation of the Australian-first Statutory Duty of Candour.
We have an important role in supporting the quality and safety function of Victorian health services – working with health services to help them prevent, improve and learn from patient harm, identify and deliver service improvements, and engage with Victorians and clinicians.
We know how important it is to hear the voices and experiences of families – and I would like to thank the Victorians who have so far shared their stories and feedback about our health services.
It takes bravery to speak out, but we know the best improvements can only occur when families’ voices are heard and concerns acted upon.
SCV conducted a review into Latrobe Regional Health following a complaint in 2023 and my team continues to have an active role in the oversight and support of quality and safety matters.
We are evaluating their performance against recommendations from our review to ensure appropriate responses occur from any concerns raised, and I am confident of the plan in place to support the service and will continue to re-assess the level of support we provide.
I also appointed Chief Medical Officer, Professor Andrew Wilson, to the Latrobe Regional Health Safety and Quality sub-committee in December 2024 to provide additional expertise, support and oversight.
If a person is unsure how to best raise any concerns or to share their story, SCV encourages Victorians to reach out to their local services complaint liaison officer in the first instance.
SCV provides guidance for consumers in relation to adverse events, this can be found here What are adverse and sentinel events? | Safer Care Victoria.