Quality Account - How we care for you – The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

Streamlined check-in with automated kiosks

The Eye and Ear is always looking to improve the experience of patients and visitors at the hospital. In response to patient feedback about lengthy reception queues, we investigated ways to streamline the patient check-in experience.

The solution

This resulted in the installation of automated check-in kiosks across the Ground Floor and Level 1. When patients arrive at the hospital, patients can now use the kiosk to check in 15 minutes before their appointment using their appointment letter, Medicare card or personal details such as name and date of birth. Once checked in, patients will be given directions as to which waiting area they must attend, and our staff will automatically be alerted they have arrived for their appointment.

The improvements

The check-in kiosks link to a screen calling system, with screens located on the ground floor in our Cafe 1863 area and in waiting rooms. These screens alert patients and carers when clinical staff are ready to see them and show which room they should attend. This system helps to minimise missed appointments by providing an additional way to alert patients when they are next to be seen.

The kiosks also provide ease of access for our diverse community by offering translation in our six top languages and a high contrast accessibility option for patients. Our enthusiastic volunteers are available to assist and guide visitors through the new system and reception staff are always available in Specialist Clinics to answer any questions patients might have during check-in or while waiting for their appointment.

The results

Since its implementation in the last 12 months, the new system has checked in more than 26,000 appointments in our Specialist Clinics. More patients are choosing to use the new system, which then frees access to reception desks for patients who require additional assistance during the check-in process.

Further support

In an effort to provide additional assistance to patients using the new kiosk system, we created an instructional video providing step by step instructions on the check-in process. This video was created with advice from our Consumer Advisors, using their experience as patients to ensure the new process was effectively communicated.

The video, as shown below, lives permanently on our website under our ‘Coming in for a specialist appointment?’ page to allow new and returning patients to be introduced to the check-in kiosk.

Your feedback is vital

Because of your feedback, the implementation of these kiosks has streamlined each patient’s journey and reduced strain on our staff by automating routine check-ins.

Patient feedback will continue to be a key channel to highlight areas we can improve, as we strive to deliver the best possible experience for all our visitors.

If you have a suggestion for our hospital or feedback you would like to share, please visit our Feedback page here.

Previous quality stories

Quality Account 2023-2024: Quality Performace at the Eye and Ear with Dr Birinder Giddey

Measure	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-2023	2023-2024
Staff flu vaccination percentage rate	86%	71%	92%	99%	98.9%
Staff hand hygiene percentage rate	83%	87%	87%	84%	86%
Total number of incidences relating to the administration of blood and blood product wastage	0	0	3	3	0
Total number of cases of staphylococcus aureus	0	1	0	0	0
Total number of cases of clostridium difficile	0	0	0	0	1
Total number of post-operative eye and ear infections	0	7	6	4	9
Total number of patients who fell over with no significant harm	28	27	25	7	27
Total number of pressure injuries recorded during an inpatient stay	2	4	9*	1	6
Total number of employees	930	934	965	1050	1082
Total number of interpreter appointments and number of languages	13,636 appts in 84 languages	9911 appt. 82 languages	9977 appts in 86 languages	10175 appts in 80 langauges	11179 appts in 83 langauges
Total number of registered consumers	27	25	22	29	31

Where does your feedback go at the hospital after you submit it?

At the Eye and Ear, we value every piece of feedback received whether it be compliments, complaints or suggestions. But what exactly happens to this feedback once it’s submitted?

We spoke with Peter Jones, our dedicated Consumer Liaison Officer, and Julie Taylor, our Manager of Quality and Safety about leaving feedback at the Eye and Ear.
The Eye and Ear is pleased to announce the hospital has successfully completed its National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards accreditation, passing with no recommendations.

This accreditation assessed the hospital against the eight NSQHS Standards:
- Clinical Governance
- Partnering with Consumers
- Preventing and Controlling Infections
- Medication Safety
- Comprehensive Care
- Communicating for Safey
- Blood Management
- Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration
The Eye and Ear met all 148 National Standard actions with no recommendations, demonstrating the high-quality care received by the hospital’s patients.

During the three-day assessment, three surveyors toured the hospital, talking to staff and patients. They were taken on clinical walkarounds through the hospital’s departments, including Specialist Clinics, Surgical Admissions and Recovery, Sterile Processing Services, Inpatient Ward, Emergency Department, Theatres, Cochlear Implant Clinic, Pre-Admission and Pharmacy.

Eye and Ear Chief Executive Officer, Brendon Gardner, praised the commitment and passion of the hospital’s staff.

“Throughout this assessment, the surveyors reiterated their excellent interactions with staff, volunteers, consumers and patients,” he said.

The surveyors praised the Eye and Ear’s high level of up-to-date policies, procedures and mandatory training, which ensure high-quality care is consistent across the hospital.

The Eye and Ear CEO emphasised the end result of all quality initiatives.

“This is a fantastic result and I am incredibly proud to be a part of this team. Across the hospital, we are driven every day by our passion for providing high-quality patient care. This assessment—and all the policies, procedures and activities it covers—reflects that commitment to everyday excellence”

Eye and Ear CEO, Brendon Gardner
Every patient who has had surgery at the Eye and Ear would be familiar with Surgical Admissions and Recovery (SAR). In fact, in the 2022-2023 financial year, SAR saw over 9000 patients come through their doors.

Situated on Level 2 of the Smorgan Family Wing, SAR is the first point of contact for all patients on the morning of their surgery, and for many patients who come in for day surgery, they are the last point of contact too.

SAR Nurse Unit Manager (NUM), Mitchell Wilson, has worked at the Eye and Ear in this role since 2006. During his tenure Mitch has been seconded to work across several departments within the hospital and at Department of Health, utilising his experience in surgical services and patient care to provide valuable perspective across multiple projects and teams. Because of this, Mitch knows and values the significant role that patient feedback has in the hospital.

Nurse Unit Manger, Mitchell Wilson

“I do believe I’ve got a good overview of the hospital and the patient journey, which I really enjoy. We actively seek feedback in my department through feedback cards and the staff are very proactive at giving these out,” explains Mitch.

Using the feedback received on these cards, Mitch’s department has gone on to implement a number of patient centred initiatives aimed at improving future patient experiences. This includes introducing:
- Staggered admission times: patients are admitted at different times instead of all at once, reducing wait times.
- Comfort rounds for patients: dedicated staff members talk with patients and carers, providing updates and reassurance whilst they are in their care.
- Changes to staff rostering: patients admitted in the morning will see the same staff in their recovery, providing familiarity and easing patient anxiety.
- Volunteers in SAR: volunteers support comfort rounds in waiting rooms and recovery wards by checking in with patients and providing additional support.
Mitch has presented on the importance of patient feedback and maintaining positive patient experiences in several forums, including at the World Association of Eye Hospital Conference held at the Eye and Ear in 2023.

Valuing consistency for patients who come through their department, the SAR team actively seeks feedback and comes together to discuss ideas and improvements in their daily meetings.

“We have a daily huddle and that’s where staff have an opportunity to talk about how the day is going, what has gone well, what we could improve on, go through what feedback we have received from patients and think ‘what can we do? Is this something that can be done locally or is it something bigger we can do with other departments?,” says Mitch.

“For example, staggered admissions came about because we were getting some negative feedback about the long waiting times. It’s a terrible thing, waiting. So, we implemented the staggered admission to try and reduce that length of time that patients actually have to wait before you go into surgery and as a result, reduce patient anxiety.”

Mitch addressing his team in a morning huddle

All feedback, both positive and negative, is a valuable resource for discussion and further improvement across the whole hospital. Although Mitch’s department receives a higher percentage of positive feedback, all feedback is placed on a Quality Improvement Board and discussed as a team.

“We have had a couple of recent months where our feedback rate has been 100% complimentary, so that’s fantastic…but it doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity to find improvement,” Mitch explains.

“The patients, their carers and staff are the richest source of information. Their feedback provides clear insights as to what is working and what the opportunities are to improve the service and the experience.”

All feedback received at the hospital is collated by our Consumer Liaison Officer and distributed back to departments where they can actively reflect and share it with staff. In addition to these postcards, Mitch’s team relays their own experiences which can also lead to improvements.

The opportunities could be small, such as placing a visual aid in change rooms to assist patients to wear their theatre gowns correctly, or a broader project involving multiple departments to implement new procedures.

What is common throughout is the understanding that the patient’s voice and experience are at the heart of it all. It has improved experiences for patients, staff and the hospital as Mitch explains.

“The biggest thanks goes to the many patients who share their stories daily and make my role here at the hospital a positive experience.”
Our You Said, We Did initiative was created to inform our patients and visitors of what improvements our hospital has made in response to consumer feedback.

Visitors wanted easy access to important information – We installed digital screens throughout the hospital, displaying key information.

Visitors wanted more accessibility options available on our website to assist in viewing content – we integrated and accessibility tool on our website which allows visitors to choose from a range of profiles and options, including screen reader, font spacing and being dyslexia friendly.

We needed to expand our general information to be accessible for the deaf or hard of hearing – Working with Expression Australia, we created 10 Auslan videos providing patients with important hospital information and on the most common eye conditions.

Patients wanted the ability to chat with our patient services team through text communications – we created an online chat function on our website which is easily accessible. The chat is available 8:00am – 4:30pm, Monday – Friday.

“I’ve got low vision and struggle to find the hospital entrance from the tram stop” – we made sure all shrubbery near signage was cut back and additional signs added to make a total of 14 signs around the building.

“Your website doesn’t have strong enough contrast for people with low vision” – we changed the contrast of the website and made visitors more aware of the enlarge text functionality.

Patients struggle to find out how to pay for medication online after hours when the Pharmacy is closed – we added the page link to our ‘Fee’s billing and making a payment’ page and ‘Patient and visitors’ tab on the front page of the website.

“I’m struggling to use my eye drops” – we created a patient eye drops education package with videos and factsheets. Containing 11 simple steps. The video was animated so it could be easily translated.

“Its hard to find information on your website about specialist appointments” – we made changes to our website navigation and made the Specialist Appointments page visible in more places.

The building felt dated and is due for an upgrade. The physical surroundings did not match the medical care provided – a repaint of the lift lobbies and entrance to Eye and Ear on the Park to freshen them up until we relocate to main campus.

Patients stated that way finding has been made difficult due to overgrown plants covering external signage – our facilities team amended this issue with ease, doing an audit of all of our external signage around the hospital. It was noted two signs were covered by overgrown plants, which will be an ongoing task for our facilities team.

Patient stated they were concerned about their appointments being changed or cancelled because of COVID – Specialist Clinics implemented an email address for patients to use. This was included in patient letters and promoted via our website and social media. The telephone hold message was also rerecorded to contain more detailed information.

“I spilt my water as I could not see the cup” – clear cups were replaced with coloured cups for better contrast. High contrast colour schemes allow people with low vision to be able to see detail more clearly.

Quality Account 2022-2023: Quality Performance at the Eye and Ear with Dr Birinder Giddey

Measure	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-2023
Staff flu vaccination percentage rate	85%	86%	71%	92%	99%
Staff hand hygiene percentage rate	80%	83%	87%	87%	84%
Total number of incidences relating to the administration of blood and blood product wastage	0	0	0	3	3
Total number of cases of staphylococcus aureus	0	0	1	0	0
Total number of cases of clostridium difficile	0	0	0	0	0
Total number of post-operative eye and ear infections	Change of reporting	0	7	6	4
Total number of patients who fell over with no significant harm	23	28	27	25	7
Total number of pressure injuries recorded during an inpatient stay	3	2	4	9*	1
Total number of employees	Change of reporting	930	934	965	1050
Total number of interpreter appointments and number of languages	17,023 appts in 79 languages	13,636 appts in 84 languages	9911 appt. 82 languages	9977 appts in 86 languages	10175 appts in 80 langauges
Total number of registered consumers	30	27	25	22	29

The Medirest cleaning staff at the Eye and Ear play an integral role in the running of the hospital every day. Their role is integral to providing the highest standards of quality and safe healthcare.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for rapid change within the health sector, especially in the way of cleaning procedures for our cleaning staff. We spoke to Medirest Site Manager, Katina Kusevska, about the impacts of COVID-19 during this time, and what changes they have made to ensure the continued safety of all patients, carers, volunteers and staff.

Katina has worked at the hospital for the last 10 years and has seen firsthand the changes that quickly came into play when the pandemic began. With additional cleaning procedures rapidly introduced, Katina’s team changed their cleaning dynamic.

Katina Kusevska celebrating her 10 years at Medirest

“It wasn’t an easy time, we were constantly in contact with patients…the team took on extra responsibilities to make sure they were complying with all safety procedures.”

The team were required to take on additional cleaning regimes, especially when COVID positive/suspect patients needed to be treated.

“If we had a patient with COVID going in for surgery, we would have someone on standby to deep clean the room they were in before theatre, deep clean the theatre after the procedure and to deep clean the recovery room after the patient left the hospital…we took all the precautions to make sure all our patients and staff are safe,” Katina explains.

During these deep cleans, the team would wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure they were safe from potential exposures of COVID-19. With Medirest staff being on call to clean rooms for COVID cases at short notice, sometimes PPE wasn’t always on hand where they were when they got the call.

Sourcing the PPE from elsewhere before heading to the room meant an increased time that the room could not be used by another patient. To aid in minimising this time and ensuring patients’ confidence around COVID procedures, the team developed PPE bags for cleaning staff to have on hand with them around the hospital.

This innovation provided a more efficient deep cleaning routine for the team, and increased flow for patients coming in for their appointments.

“We put everything in one bag…the PPE pack contains a disposable gown, goggles, gloves face shield, head and shoe covers so they have all of the equipment they need. They don’t have to think about where they need to go, they have it all there,” said Katina.

As a specialist hospital, the Eye and Ear continues to enforce and meet Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Health Care, Cleaning Standards for Victorian Health Facilities and COVID-safe practices for all patients, carers, volunteers and staff. The Medirest cleaning staff will also continue to provide the same level of cleaning practices as they would have during the middle of the pandemic.

“We don’t want to change, we will be regularly cleaning all public areas, lift buttons and chairs…we will make sure all our patients and staff are safe.”
Every day, medical procedures are undertaken in healthcare settings globally, which require a wide range of supplies, instruments and equipment. Patient safety hinges on these instruments being properly cleaned, sanitised and sterilised.

The Sterile Processing Service (SPS) at the Eye and Ear is a specialised area responsible for receiving, storing, processing, distributing, and controlling the professional supplies and equipment (both sterile and non-sterile) for the care and safety of our patients. The importance of the function of this team cannot be over stated. The team provides service to all of the operating theatres and outpatient clinics throughout the hospital. Though the services they provide might not be visible to the average patient, nonetheless their role is absolutely critical in supporting patient safety.

Randy Rufo, Nurse Unit Manager of SPS – Surgical Services explained the importance for the SPS team to work closely with other areas of the hospital

“The goal is always to meet the demands required for the best patient care without compromising on standards of practice.”

The upgrade of SPS’s facilities due to the progress of the Eye and Ear’s redevelopment has resulted in a new very large, modern department with state-of-the-art facilities and a workflow which is unidirectional which ensures infection prevention standards are met. The standard – AS/NZS 4187:2014 “Reprocessing of reusable medical devices in health service organisations” and sets out strict requirements for the reprocessing of reusable medical devices in healthcare settings.

The initial cleaning of instruments begins at the end of the procedure in which the reusable medical equipment is used. After this cleaning, all items require thorough cleaning and disinfection in the equipment reprocessing area before sterilising.

Randy notes:

As stated in the standard, it is vital that staff are educated and competent in relation to effective infection prevention and control. This includes ongoing staff education and induction relating to infection prevention and control, and competency.

SPS run two automated washer disinfection machines connected to an automated chemical dosing system supplying the washers with pre-set dose of chemicals to be used for surgical instruments. The department uses an electronic tracking system to allow for easy tracking of instrument usage, monitoring of supplies, as well as reduction of paper waste.

It is estimated in a three-month period that there are around 1,536 steriliser cycles run resulting in more than 120,000 sanitised instruments.

Of course, SPS is just one cog in the Eye and Ear’s extended model of care. There must be ongoing consultation to ensure that the instruments that are used are compatible with the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation equipment available. To ensure devices can be processed in accordance with the recommended cleaning and sterilisation procedure (known as instructions for use or IFU) there are ongoing reviews via the hospital’s Product Evaluation committee and in accordance with The Australian Standard AS/NZS 4187.

When at full strength, the SPS team consists of 27 hard-working health professionals. When asked what motivates the team most Randy simply stated:

Knowing we can help improve the lives of our patients.
At The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital we are committed to providing an inclusive and respectful environment, free from discrimination.

Barb West joined the Eye and Ear in March 2022 to support our action plans and work to further build a culture of equity and inclusion. Barb comes from a professional background in academia, landing what would have been her dream job at 33— tenured professor at a university. It was at this time she realised she wanted more from life and decided to move from her then-home in California to Melbourne. From here, Barb wrote a number of books, including a book on the history of Australia and a book about Australian culture and the workplace. Barb and her partner started their own intercultural consulting business to help organisations incorporate equity and inclusion into their workplace in an impactful way.

Importance of difference, equity and inclusion

Through her experience as an intercultural consultant, Barb has worked with a range of clients on supporting a variety of intercultural projects. These projects included working with universities to support them in appropriately welcoming their international student cohorts and working with healthcare institutions on improving their informed consent practices.

“What we found was that many patients were saying ‘yes’ but didn’t always know what they were saying ‘yes’ to. I worked a lot in upskilling this form of communication,” said Barb.

Barb later moved back into the academic world and accepted a lecturer position in Hungary, moving there just before the pandemic hit. In late 2021, Barb moved back to Melbourne where she applied for the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator role at the Eye and Ear.

“I was so impressed and delighted with the Eye and Ear in choosing me as the candidate for this role as I haven’t necessarily followed a standard career trajectory,” explained Barb.

Key areas of focus for this role include:
- Supporting further development of our Aboriginal Employment Plan, working closely with our Mirring Ba Wirring team
- Developing diversity and visibility within the LGBTQIA+ community
- Disability employment
- Implementing our Gender Equality Action Plan
- Upskilling and empowering staff with intercultural knowledge
“I hope to create a culture of celebration and adaption. I want all staff to be comfortable at work and be able to be 100% authentically themselves. Work environments with this kind of ethos create a vibrant and positive workforce,” explained Barb.

Gender Equality Action Plan

In 2020, the Victorian Government introduced the Gender Equality Act, which holds the hospital accountable for making meaningful changes in the workplace in order to strive for gender equality. An audit has been completed to determine the key benchmark statistics. The plan will focus on three key areas of improvement and change with constant consultation with the dedicated Eye and Ear working groups. Barb has commenced working through the actions and influencing change throughout the hospital.

What this means for patients

This role will highlight the importance of all forms of cultural and identity difference through increased visibility, adaptation and celebration. Enhanced cultural development training to both educate our staff and create a professional environment based on learning, adapting and the principles of intercultural communication will be undertaken.

“The overarching goal is to create long term change internally, which will filter through to our communications and actions with patients and carers,” shared Barb.

By empowering staff with knowledge, we can create better connections to our patients and approach each person with intercultural empathy and understanding.”

Barb explains that creating cultural change requires building the skills of all staff and ultimately comes down to the way in which we act and communicate.

She considers the cognitive processing differences as a good example.

“Are you a linear or a circular communicator? Most professional situations in the English-speaking world require you to speak in a linear manner. In many other languages this is not the case,” explains Barb.

Linear communication is a type of communication that moves in only one direction, whereas circular communication refers to more discussion-centric communication involving storytelling to develop context around the key message.

If our staff are skilled in identifying these types of cognitive differences when treating patients, then they will be able to adapt and become better communicators and better clinicians overall.

We will continue to share quality and improvement stories and data on this page throughout 2022. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about what we are doing to support our patients, consumers, volunteers and staff, please read more in our Partnering with Consumers and Community Plan.
Infection Control has always been an important practice across the healthcare sector, possibly never more so than in the current environment. The goal of infection control management is to reduce the risk of patients contracting preventable infections which in turn improves the overall quality of care.

Helen Marquand joined the Eye and Ear in April 2020 as the Infection Control Coordinator. Helen has been an integral part of ensuring our hospital follows the Department of Health (DH) guidelines and is as prepared as possible in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak. Helen shares more of how her role has evolved and adapted over the past year due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Helen describes her early roles in infection control within hospital environments:

“Infection control functions were very much education focused, and being the central point of contact for all departments across the hospital, which included providing advice during construction work projects. Surveillance and responding to small infection outbreaks in the hospital was also a big part my role. I would conduct ward rounds to ensure patients were safe and the preventative measures were being correctly implemented.”

In March 2020 the role of infection control in a hospital setting developed significantly to support the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The focus for Helen was implementing the DH guidelines in clinical settings to support a COVIDSafe environment. This included advising on PPE protocols, physical distancing in waiting rooms and staff tea rooms, enhanced cleaning, and the introduction of QR codes and visitor screening at entrances.

“We did everything we could to protect our staff and patients, but there was no vaccination to roll out or mask fit testing requirements which changed the course of 2021 for the entire sector,” explained Helen.

Comparatively, the direct impact of COVID-19 at the Eye and Ear in 2020 was low with very few COVID-positive patient or staff cases. However, there was a lot of hard work happening behind the scenes. A group of expert staff from around the hospital, including Helen, joined forces to form a COVID-19 working group. Those involved planned and implemented COVIDSafe processes, many of which you can still see in our hospital today. The processes are regularly reviewed as a way of adapting to the changing COVID-19 environment.

“Some of the DH guidance applied more to larger hospitals conducting a broad range of treatments. Many of our treatments involve close patient contact and sometimes patients can’t wear PPE appropriately. This means we needed to adapt. Staff compliance was key,” Helen explains.

While 2020 was unprecedented and believed at the time to be the COVID-19 peak, it was 2021 that has proved most challenging.

“I think no one could have predicted the year that was 2021. It was very hard to prepare for. Last year, as a specialist hospital we were somewhat protected, there weren’t many exposure sites and our theatre activity was reduced,” explained Helen.

The biggest challenges this year for Helen, and the Eye and Ear more broadly, has been the unpredictable nature of the lockdowns and the flow on effect. Add to this the management of the vaccination rollout and the implementation of the hospital’s Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) made for a difficult year for all Victorian health care providers. The RPP implements respiratory protection processes to minimise the risk to respiratory hazards, such as infectious agents. Due to COVID -19, there has been a significant uptake in usage of Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE), and with it the need for health care workers to be trained and supported to wear and use RPE effectively.

“When I started, the infection control team was just me, and now we have our Respiratory Protection Program Coordinator, as well as a number of casual staff members that have helped with administering the vaccination and administration support,” Helen said.

We are proud of our staff for continuing to provide expert care to our patients while navigating the changes to the sector.

“It has been really tough for our staff to have to reduce visitor numbers and have patients unable to see their loved ones. However, we can all see the bigger picture and that it is essential protocol for keeping staff and patients safe. This understanding has then allowed staff to approach patients with compassion and empathy,” explains Helen.
The Social Services Unit is an important part of the Eye and Ear that provides support to our patients. The unit has continued to deliver quality care to our patients via patient transport, interpreting, social work or family violence support. In 2020 the hospital also appointed a dedicated Disability Liaison Officer to support patients who needed this assistance.

Maureen Plain, Manager of Social Services, explains that it has been a challenging yet rewarding time for the team as they adjust to the impacts of COVID-19.

“The resilience of the team and the entire healthcare sector has been outstanding to witness and be a part of. Supporting our patients is our number one priority and each team member has adjusted their practice to ensure patients receive the best care possible,” says Maureen.

In some cases, transport and telehealth services came together to reinforce quality care for patients.

“We utilise the Red Cross for our patient transport services. In a normal year, this service is fairly self-sufficient, however it has been in and out of operation due to lockdown restrictions, which has meant our team need to think outside the box and explore options for our patients on a case-by-case basis,” Maureen explained.

Currently requests for patient transport are accessed via telephone and Telehealth is used where appropriate. Telehealth is especially useful when patients aren’t able to use public transport or catch a taxi to the hospital.

“COVID-19 resulted in the suspension of external onsite interpreters during peak stages, with these bookings being transferred to telephone. At first, this was disruptive, with bookings difficult to change, however the process has adapted to accommodate sudden lockdowns and we can now quickly change bookings to telephone when needed.

We have also seen the development of an online portal offering an alternative to these requests which will reform our translating services and reduce the time taken to process them,” Maureen explains.

Strengthening our hospital’s response to family violence (SHRFV) has been operating in public hospitals since 2018 in response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence. SHRFV has been supported at the Eye and Ear via the introduction of family violence procedures and staff training. These enhancements have helped our staff develop the knowledge and skills to identify family violence, assessment and referral processes.

In line with the recommendations, the Eye and Ear also implemented the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Management (MARAM) framework. This ensures services are effectively identified and assessed in order to manage family violence risk. MARAM also highlights issues around family violence, not just for patients but also for staff.

Maureen noted that the Eye and Ear saw a decline in referrals during lockdown periods, but an increase once lockdown ceased, which was reflective of what was occurring in the community. The opportunity for survivors of family violence to leave the home is reduced during a lockdown and therefore the opportunity to seek assistance is also lessened. COVID-19 has provided many pressures for everyone, and this has only further exacerbated family violence within homes.

The Eye and Ear takes a holistic approach to patient care. Treatment is provided with consideration of a patient’s mental health and social wellbeing to solicit the best health outcomes.

These issues need to be addressed in order to support discharge planning, continued engagement with the hospital as well as future treatments. It is vital that all patients are provided with the opportunity to be referred to a social worker for more comprehensive support.

Throughout the pandemic, new programs have been implemented and several improvements have been made. The hospital has seen a high degree of collaboration and leadership on many fronts. Interestingly even though patient numbers have reduced, social work has continued to have a consistent number of referrals.

During this period, the social workers, family violence and disability liaison officer have addressed some complex issues that patients have experienced including but not limited to: family support networks; home care; disability; family violence; children at risk and mental health.

The Eye and Ear’s new Disability Liaison Program, a great initiative by the Victorian Government, will provide support for individuals with a disability to access vaccinations and receive support within the clinical setting. This service is also noted in the Hospital’s Disability Action Plan.

People with disability were not coming to their appointments as much due to COVID and so now the focus is on vaccinations. However, the service extends further. It is about making sure that people with a disability have access to the right advice, guidance ensuring they have equal treatment. In addition, the ability to link with other Disability Liaison Officer’s across the state will help streamline information to further assist patients with a disability.

The Eye and Ear takes a holistic approach to patient care. Treatment is provided with consideration of a patient’s mental health and social wellbeing to solicit the best health outcomes.

These issues need to be addressed in order to support discharge planning, continued engagement with the hospital as well as future treatments. It is vital that all patients are provided with the opportunity to be referred to a social worker for more comprehensive support.

Throughout the pandemic, new programs have been implemented and several improvements have been made. The hospital has seen a high degree of collaboration and leadership on many fronts. Interestingly even though patient numbers have reduced, social work has continued to have a consistent number of referrals.

During this period, the social workers, family violence and disability liaison officer have addressed some complex issues that patients have experienced including but not limited to: family support networks; home care; disability; family violence; children at risk and mental health.

The Eye and Ear’s new Disability Liaison Program, a great initiative by the Victorian Government, will provide support for individuals with a disability to access vaccinations and receive support within the clinical setting. This service is also noted in the Hospital’s Disability Action Plan.

People with disability were not coming to their appointments as much due to COVID and so now the focus is on vaccinations. However, the service extends further. It is about making sure that people with a disability have access to the right advice, guidance ensuring they have equal treatment. In addition, the ability to link with other Disability Liaison Officer’s across the state will help streamline information to further assist patients with a disability.