ACT Quality Healthcare Awards recognise innovators in health sector


Released 27/02/2018

Canberra healthcare providers were recognised for their work tonight at the 2017 Quality in Healthcare ACT Awards. The awards honour initiatives that are improving the delivery of safe, quality health services to the ACT community.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris and Minister for Mental Health Shane Rattenbury attended the awards to recognise leadership and innovation across five categories: person-centred, safety, effectiveness, efficiency and student.

Minister Fitzharris said the awards highlighted some of the amazing people who work in the ACT’s health sector.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all award finalists for 2017 and thank them for their dedication to enhancing patient-centred health care in the ACT,” Minister Fitzharris said.

“I would especially like to acknowledge the Specialist Palliative Care team at Clare Holland House Canberra, who were awarded the top prize for their work on implementing proactive models of palliative care.

“End of life care is incredibly important and can be a real comfort for families, and when it’s more proactive, it’s better for everyone involved.”

The Clare Holland House team piloted its Palliative Care Needs Round across four residential aged care facilities, which identified residents who were approaching the end of their life and helped develop care plans for their final months. It reduced avoidable time spent in hospital by 67 per cent and saved an impressive $115,000 over six months.

“This impressive approach to palliative care has received national and international attention. The initiative has helped families and staff to feel better supported and helps avoid unnecessary hospital transfers by managing palliative care needs in residential aged care. It is through these new ways of working that we can really improve care for patients,” said Minister Fitzharris.

Minister for Mental Health Shane Rattenbury congratulated the Improved Clinical Handover team at City Mental Health for winning the Safety category for work on E-Message Response Protocols.

“We know from incident reporting data that there were gaps in clear, standardised procedures for adult community mental health teams in clinical handover processes.

“The team piloted a new handover process that achieved improved documentation and response to e messages for community mental health services.

“Based on these positive results, the processes will be rolled out across adult community mental health teams. This is a fantastic outcome, and proof positive of the innovation we see across our mental health sector.”

The 2017 Quality Awards have been refreshed to align with ACT Health’s Strategy and the delivery of person-centred, safe, effective and high quality care and taking a whole system approach to improving patient outcomes.

A selection panel of health professionals from public and private health services and consumer representatives judged the submitted projects.

2017 ACT Quality in Healthcare Award category winners:

  • Effectiveness (joint winners) (overall winner): The specialist palliative care team at Clare Holland House Canberra: implementing proactive models of palliative care in residential aged care facilities.
  • Effectiveness (joint winners): The Canberra Hospital golden hour and ePREM: A favourable beginning extremely preterm infants. The care these babies receive within the first few hours and days of life has a significant impact on immediate survival and their long-term morbidities
  • Person Centered: The Kink Clinic: working with consumers to increase access to sexual health care.
  • Safety: Improved Clinical Handover at City Mental Health Team: Developing E-Message Response Protocols.
  • Efficiency: ACT Health Electronic Records team: Transition to a paperless service in Maternal and Child Health program using Client Record Information System
  • Student: Ian McConnell-Whalan: An audit of timely access to evidence-based pathways of cancer care for patients with thoracic malignancies in the ACT region.

- Statement ends -

Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases

Media Contacts

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Claire Johnston

(02) 6205 0022

0452 597 459

clairev.johnston@act.gov.au


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