Communications and advocacy update
14 September 2023
Here’s an update on a few of the issues AMA Victoria is working on for members, including:
- Review of Health Services (Health Service Establishments) Regulations 2013
- Need for consistent nationwide regulation of e-scooters
- Women's Health and Wellbeing Program
Review of Health Services (Health Service Establishments) Regulations 2013
The Health Services (Health Service Establishments) Regulations 2013 (‘the Regulations’) establish the minimum requirements for the safety and quality of patient care in Victoria's private hospitals and day procedure centres (including mobile health services). The Regulations will expire (or ‘sunset’) on 1 September 2024 due to the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994, which legislates that regulations in Victoria have a maximum life of up to 10 years. However, the Victorian Department of Health considers that the Regulations should be re-made in whole, part, or a modified form, and has commenced a review into Regulations to this effect, including by releasing a discussion paper.
There are three main elements to the Regulations:
- the definition and scope of prescribed health services including those relating to cosmetic surgery;
- staffing requirements including staff-to-patient ratios and senior appointments; and
- clinical governance requirements including reporting, patient admission and discharge, credentialling, external labour hire accountability, and fatigue management.
Further information, including the discussion paper and consultation process are available on the Department of Health website at: Health Services (Health Service Establishments) Regulations 2013 review | health.vic.gov.au.
If members would like to contribute to AMA Victoria’s response, please provide feedback on the review/discussion paper to Senior Policy Adviser, Lewis Horton, at LewisH@amavic.com.au by Friday 22 September.
Need for consistent nationwide regulation of e-scooters.
Building upon our previous state-based advocacy efforts (Communications and advocacy update: 25 January (amavic.com.au); Communications and Advocacy update: 23 March (amavic.com.au)), AMA Victoria has written to the National Transport Commission (NTC) to call for consistent nationwide regulation of e-scooters.
AMA Victoria’s position is that e-scooter use is largely underregulated and has the potential to cause unnecessary injury.
AMA Victoria supports all states and territories adopting a nationally consistent, optimised Australian Road Rules model regulatory framework for the legal use of e-scooters, and in our letter, we called on the NTC to facilitate this. It is our view that this framework may be different to that regarding other current and emerging personal mobility devices, and should be evidence designed to optimise safety and accident/injury prevention and decrease the burden of health costs on the Australian community.
We will update members on the NTC’s response.
Women's Health and Wellbeing Program
Gender has a significant impact on health. Even after incredible advancements in medicine, we still understand less about how many health issues affect women compared to men.
Women make up half of the population, yet their health has been overlooked and underdiagnosed for too long. The Victorian Government is working to change this and, as a first step, is asking you about it.
Over the month of September, gather around the table with friends and family to talk about your health care experiences and share them via the Engage Vic survey. Survey is open until 29 September.
The Victorian Government wants to hear from as many Victorian women as possible; to support this, the survey has been translated into 8 languages. The survey findings will help inform the future model of care for women's health in Victoria.
If you need to provide feedback in a format other than the survey, email pph.communications@health.vic.gov.au
