CEO welcome On behalf of our committed staff and Board, I am proud to share the 2016–17 Annual Review. At the Eye and Ear we continuously look at improving the care we provide to patients and their families. This includes working in partnership with other service providers, supporting research into new treatments and utilising advancements in technology. This year has provided wonderful examples of staff and patients working together. Continuing with our redevelopment while building our state-of-the-art hospital, we opened our temporary second site, Eye and Ear on the Park, to provide quality care. I hope you enjoy reading the stories of some key successes for 2016-17. What binds each experience is the role the Eye and Ear has played in improving quality of life. Working together for a strong future As Victoria’s largest public provider of ophthalmology and ENT services, patient feedback is essential to the hospital’s future. From our outpatient clinics to inpatients, to emergency and our research participants – we want to hear from everyone. This year we launched a campaign to encourage patients and families to share their experiences. We use consumer feedback to review and strengthen the way we provide patient care. Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts with us. Caring in every sense The Eye and Ear is Australia’s only specialist stand- alone eye, ear, nose and throat (ENT) hospital. Every year we see around 250,000 patients. As some of the stories show, the hospital is exploring new and exciting ways to support healthcare for regional and remote Victorians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. A tradition of learning Learning is essential to all advancements and we are proud to work with so many skilled clinical professionals and researchers across eye and ENT specialties. This year we undertook 220 active research projects with our partners such as the Centre for Eye Research Australia, the University of Melbourne, the Bionics Institute, Bionic Vision Australia, HEARing CRC and Monash University. Our commitment to innovation, professionalism and the highest standards of care is demonstrated in our accreditation by the relevant colleges, including The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, The Royal Australian College of Surgeons, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Royal Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. I extend my thanks to all our partners, stakeholders and collaborators. As you read the Annual Review, I hope you feel the appreciation and inspiration I do about the wonderful work of our staff. Mark Petty Chief Executive Officer
Our people Eye and Ear Annual Review 2016–17 03 VOLUNTEERS HELPED OVER 50,000 PATIENTS VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 8,400 HOURS STAFF WHO FEEL A CULTURE OF PATIENT SAFETY 94% ALL OF VICTORIA’S PUBLIC COCHLEAR IMPLANTS 100% WE DO MORE THAN HALF OF VICTORIA’S PUBLIC EYE SURGERY 50% EYE AND EAR EMPLOYEES 589
What are accreditation and national standards? This year, the hospital is going through the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare’s (the Commission) accreditation process. The Commission sets out 10 national standards covering many areas including governance and partnering with consumers to managing medication, patient identification and clinical handover. Hospitals go through the accreditation process every three years. Auditors visit to observe and review our clinical practices to ensure we meet the standards. This means patients can feel confident that every hospital they go to will have the same high level of safety, quality and care. Providing our patients with quality and safe eye and ear healthcare is at the core of everything we do. Accreditation is the stamp of approval that says we are achieving this.