Patient Quality & Safety
Our Statement of Commitment
Child Safety
In response to the Betrayal of Trust report, the Victorian Government has strengthened laws to protect our children from sexual abuse and exposure to sexual offenders.
This is in recognition of the shared community responsibility to protect children from abuse and to provide a safe environment for children to develop, learn and play.
Victorian law “failure to protect – children from sexual abuse” is applicable to all Victorians who form a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child less than 16 years. Failure to disclose the information to police is also a criminal offence.
People in authority in our organisation will commit an offence if they know of a substantial risk of child sexual abuse and have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk, but negligently fail to do so. Any personnel who are mandatory reporters must comply with their duties.
View our Child Safety statement of commitment
Gender Equality
The Gender Equality Act 2020 was designed to improve workplace gender equality in the Victorian public sector, universities and local councils. The Act commenced on 31 March 2021. The Act applies to certain organisations that have 50 or more employees, including the public sector, universities and local councils (‘defined entities’). Defined entities will have obligations under the Act.
As a defined entity beneath the Act, RDHS is required to:
- Develop and implement a Gender Equality Action Plan, which includes:
• results of a workplace gender audit
• strategies for achieving workplace gender equality - Publicly report on their progress in relation to workplace gender equality
- Promote gender equality in policies, programs and services that impact the public
- Complete Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs) RDHS Gender Equality Action Plan 2021-2025 is available on our website here Resources
Visit the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector
Family Violence
At RDHS we recognise that family violence across the life span is a complex and serious community issue which can take many forms. While most commonly experienced by women and their children, family violence affects all members of society including men and the elderly. Family violence occurs in all types of families, regardless of income, profession, educational level or race. It has both immediate and long-term impacts on the physical, psychological and social health and wellbeing of those affected.
We recognise that family violence is a health issue, and is Victoria’s largest preventable cause of early death, disability and illness in women under the age of 45. It is also the main contributor to depression and anxiety in women. We acknowledge that our region is impacted heavily by family violence. As a health service we are in a unique position to identify people at risk, sensitively enquire if we can help, and make referrals to specialist family violence services if required. By doing so we will help to reduce the incidence of family violence and its impact on individuals, families, the community and the health system.
We will support our staff both professionally and personally in relation to family violence to ensure their wellbeing and safety.
We acknowledge that family violence is predominantly determined and reinforced by gender inequality and that we have a role to play in championing equality across our service and the community.
Our vision is a future where our community is free from family violence and where healthy, respectful relationships are the norm. As a hospital we can make a significant contribution to achieving this vision and contribute to changing behaviours and community attitudes through our clinical practices, education and advocacy programs.
Patient Quality and Safety
RDHS is committed to ongoing improvement of patient care in all areas. While we strive to have a outstanding record in delivering quality patient care and managing the safety of our hospital, we continue to focus on improvements to ensure that our services are as safe as possible and that we are minimising risks at all times.
RDHS has a strong commitment to safety and quality and this is reflected in our approach to:
- Creating safe environments and systems of work for our staff
- Reviewing and improving on a continuous basis the performance of our patient safety and quality systems
- Assisting our healthcare professionals and Visiting Medical Officers to monitor the safety and quality of care they provide
- Ensuring accountability for the safety and quality of care at all levels of our organisation reporting through to the Board of Management.
