On Monday 24 March, AMA Victoria met with the Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, to advance advocacy priorities affecting our members and the broader Victorian health system. The meeting specifically addressed progress on our Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff (GROSS) initiative, and potential reforms to Victoria’s sentinel event framework.

Support for GROSS

Minister Thomas understands the many benefits of AMA Victoria’s GROSS initiative, which aims to reduce unnecessary and inefficient administrative practices that detract from patient care and clinician wellbeing. Duplicative mandatory training was identified as an initial priority given its significant impact on clinician workload and morale, an issue AMA Victoria has consistently highlighted with Safer Care Victoria and the Department of Health.

We discussed potential pathways for reducing duplication within Victoria’s health system, including:

• an initial focus on duplicative mandatory training and streamlining across health services
• Establishing formal mechanisms within health services for clinicians to proactively identify further administrative inefficiencies or "stupid stuff".
• Following an initial emphasis on mandatory training, we discussed future opportunities, such as streamlining credentialing processes, which have repeatedly been raised by AMA Victoria members as burdensome.

AMA Victoria also proposed Department of Health Secretary, Jenny Atta PSM, as a high-level champion to explore opportunities to reduce unnecessary and inefficient administrative practices in the health system so we can keep the focus on patient care.  We are excited about the Secretary, Department and Safer Care Victoria working across the health system to advance this important agenda.

The Minister’s enthusiastic support for reducing duplication and achieving efficiencies in our health services is a most encouraging step forward, aligning with our advocacy to improve workforce morale, reduce burnout, and ensure more time can be dedicated to patient care.
 

Constructive engagement on sentinel event framework reform

AMA Victoria raised ongoing concerns regarding the Victorian sentinel event framework, particularly issues created by Victoria’s unique "Category 11", which deviates from national definitions set by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). The Minister acknowledged the validity of these concerns, particularly noting the confusion Category 11 has created and the risk it poses for underreporting of adverse patient outcomes, notably paediatric deaths.

There was agreement on several key issues, including the importance of avoiding the politicisation of sentinel event reporting, recognising that increased reporting often reflects greater transparency rather than declining standards of care. We also discussed the need to address cultural barriers within health services, such as reluctance to report incidents- particularly those involving paediatric deaths- due to fears around media scrutiny and reputational harm. The conversation further highlighted the importance of understanding the enhanced support necessary for grieving families navigating complex medico-legal processes after the loss of a child, as well as protecting clinicians from inappropriate blame and scapegoating, ensuring they are supported rather than penalised for transparently reporting incidents.

This alignment provides a solid foundation for further efforts aimed at reforming the sentinel event framework to improve patient safety and clinician trust in reporting systems.
 

Continuing collaboration and advocacy

AMA Victoria thanks Minister Thomas for her constructive engagement and commitment to working collaboratively with us on these important issues. We will now:

• Engage further with the Minister and the Department of Health Victoria to progress potential pathways to practically implement GROSS, beginning with duplicative training and progressing to further areas such as credentialing.
• Maintain strong advocacy for prompt reform of Victoria’s sentinel event framework to ensure clearer definitions, increased transparency, and strengthening protections for clinicians.

We will keep members informed of developments and welcome your ongoing feedback and suggestions.