VICNISS Advisory Committee

2010 Meeting Dates

Purpose

The VICNISS Advisory Committee shall provide stakeholder input and advice to the VICNISS Coordinating Centre. The Committee shall advise the Coordinating Centre on the HAI surveillance activities, the implementation and maintenance of the program, the improvement activities undertaken, communication of information to consumers and health care providers, and contract deliverables of the VICNISS program as requested.

Membership

Membership is representative of key stakeholders and includes:

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Health Service Administrators (CEO or DON or DOM)
Department of Health representatives: Statewide Quality Branch
Consumer Representatives
Victorian Infection Control Professionals Association (VICPA) (Rural and Metropolitan)
Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID)
Melbourne Health Executive Sponsor
Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
VICNISS Coordinating Centre
Private Hospitals Representative

The VICNISS Advisory Committee may form working groups, co-opt members to the Committee or working groups and commission other activities as necessary.

The Department of Human Services appoints the Committee Chair and members. Members are appointed for a three-year term, with the option to extend (See Rules - Attendance).

	Name		Representing	Contact
Mr	Matthew	Richards	Victorian Infection Control Professionals Association (VICPA) (metropolitan)	c/-The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Ms	Sue	Flockhart	Victorian Infection Control Professionals Association (VICPA) (Regional)	c/-Ballarat Health Services
Dr	Peter	Bradford	Executive Director, Clinical Governance/Medical Services, Melbourne Health	Melbourne Health
Ms	Sarah	Gray	Consumer Representative	c/-Bernadette Kennedy, Department of Health (see below)
Mr	Steven	Peuschel	Consumer Representative	c/-Bernadette Kennedy, Department of Health (see below)
Dr	Rhonda	Stuart	Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases	c/-Monash Medical Centre
Dr	Chris	MacIsaac	Victorian Regional Committee - Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine	c/-Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists or c/-Melbourne Health
Mr	Simon	Williams	Royal Australasian College of Surgeons	c/-Bernadette Lane, Department of Health (see below)
Mr	Felix	Pintado	Chair of Committee Health Service Administrators	c/-Bernadette Kennedy, Department of Health (see below)
Mr	Deane	Wilks	Manager, Quality and Safety Programs	Department of Health
Ms	Bernadette	Kennedy	Senior Program Advisor Infection Prevention, Statewide Quality Branch	Department of Health
A/Prof	Mike	Richards	Director	VICNISS Coordinating Centre
Mr	Clinton	Dunkley	Operations Director	VICNISS Coordinating Centre
TBA			Private Hospitals

Reporting Arrangements

The VICNISS Coordinating Centre shall provide an annual report to the Statewide Quality Branch, Department of Human Services and the auspicing agency Melbourne Health.

The principal contact for the Department of Human Services is the Senior Program Advisor, Infection Prevention, Statewide Quality Branch.

The Melbourne Health Executive Director responsible for the VICNISS program is the principal managerial contact for the VICNISS Coordinating Centre.

Reporting Relationships

Terms of Reference (endorsed February 2009)

The VICNISS Advisory Committee shall be a high level committee that provides advice focusing on strategies and deliverables for VICNISS including:

Ongoing review of aims, objectives and effectiveness of the role of VICNISS and its' Coordinating Centre, in reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)
Provide advice on VICNISS strategic business planning and service development, progress on deliverables, including development of indicators for service quality and accessibility
Provide comment on VICNISS HAI surveillance reports
Ensure that the potential benefit of the VICNISS service and Coordinating Centre is maximised including measures to achieve maximum participation by Victorian hospitals
Provide advice on the measures taken to ensure that VICNISS and the Coordinating Centre has an effective communication strategy in place, including communication with the community and consumers
Recommend the establishment of technical reference groups for the Coordinating Centre as required, on issues such as methods, definitions and the development, evaluation and implementation of VICNISS surveillance software

Meeting Procedures

Meetings shall occur quarterly in any one year. In addition there may be a requirement to call an extraordinary meeting.
Quorum shall be half the full membership +1. In the event that a quorum is not achieved the meeting may continue and decisions ratified at the next meeting.
Minutes – the activities of the Committee shall be recorded, confirmed by the Chair, forwarded to members and retained on a formal registered file.
Operating Rules -see below

Operating Rules

Confidentiality
Unless stated, all papers, including data, are to be viewed as confidential. These are for the exclusive use of the Committee members.

Declaration of Conflict of Interest
Members should declare any personal interest at any meeting if it relates specifically to a particular issue under consideration. The Secretariat will record this declaration in the minutes.

Proxies
Members are required to notify the Chair or Secretariat when there is an intention for a proxy to represent the member at any Advisory Committee meeting or to undertake any membership role or responsibility. Proxies must be an existing member of the Committee.

Attendance
If members are unable to attend meeting on three consecutive occasions, the Chair will request that a person with equivalent representation replace them.

Media
To be directed to the Director of VICNISS Coordinating Centre in the first instance.

Review of Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference shall be reviewed as required by the Chair in consultation with the Department of Human Services, and ratified by the Committee.