Clinical Engagement
The Department values and is committed to involving clinicians in our healthcare design and planning to ensure the best advice.
Engaging clinicians in the design, planning, decision-making and evaluation of health system improvement activities benefits both the Department and clinicians.
The Department benefits through receiving a broad range of expert, evidence-based, and representative advice. It also ensures that clinicians understand, own and can implement health reforms.
By engaging clinicians, we show that we value their participation and expertise, and that policymakers do consider their views and expertise. The policies developed will reflect shared priorities and practice realities.
The information below shows how the Department formally engages with clinicians.
Tasmanian Health Senate
The Tasmanian Health Senate is a clinical engagement body. It brings together clinicians and people who use health services.
The Senate will provide independent, evidence-based advice to the Secretary, Department of Health and Ministers for Health on issues of statewide, strategic importance to the health system.
The Our Healthcare Future Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper committed the Department to establish a co-designed, statewide Clinical Senate.
The Establishing a Statewide Clinical Senate for Tasmania Issues Paper was released for consultation in September 2021. It outlined key issues, opportunities, challenges and matters to work through with stakeholders.
The co-designed Terms of Reference and Operational Framework have been prepared in consultation with interested stakeholders with health knowledge, expertise and lived experience.
The Department thanks everyone who took the time to contribute to the consultation to establish the Tasmanian Health Senate.
To find out more, please email [email protected].
What is the Tasmanian Health Senate?
The Tasmanian Health Senate will be a collective voice representing the entire health system in Tasmania. It will actively contribute to informing and influencing the delivery of quality healthcare for Tasmanians now and in the future.
The Senate will consider system-wide priorities that affect access, quality, safety, efficiency, and sustainability of health services to develop informed, impartial, and integrated advice that enhances patient care and health outcomes.
The Senate is overseen by a Steering Committee, a small group drawn from Senate members, to provide leadership and good governance.
The Tasmanian Health Senate functions under the authority of the Secretary and is supported by the Minister for Health.
Membership
The Senate is a respected advisory group that brings together individuals from across the health service, including clinicians and consumers, to provide leadership and independent advice to the Department of Health Secretary and Health Ministers on system-wide healthcare planning and delivery.
Members are appointed for two or three years. When an Expression of Interest process is open, information will be available here.
To find out more, please email [email protected].
Tasmanian Clinical Networks
Each Network focuses on an area of shared interest such as cardiac, endoscopy or women’s and children’s services. The Network brings together clinicians and interested people to work together to make changes and provide advice. Over time this will include more consumer and peak body representation to achieve the best outcomes.
Like the Tasmanian Health Senate, the Clinical Networks are overseen by a Steering Committee. The Tasmanian Clinical Networks Steering Committee and the Tasmanian Health Senate Steering Committee share some members to strengthen governance and help engagement.
If you are interested in becoming a consumer member of a Clinical Network, please email [email protected].
