The Division of
Women's & Child Health is one of the large clinical divisions in the Liverpool
Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of New South Wales, in the South Western area of Sydney. The
Division provides services to a large multicultural community as well as involves in
teaching to both undergraduates and postgraduates of medicine and nursing in New South
Wales, Australia.
Relationships and collaboration in education and training between the South
Western Sydney Health Service (SWSAHS), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and
authorities from Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Department of Ministry of Health, Peoples
Republic of China, have developed, grown and strengthened in recent years. During the last
four (4) years, the Division of Women's & Child Health has hosted Study Tours and
Lecture programs to MCH Directors and Leaders from many Provinces of China.
Over the next decade, there will be
increasing interest in the type of cooperation that exists between the Division and China
to expand to other countries like Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand and The Philippines. The
continuing opportunities for staff of the Division of Women's & Child Health to be
involved in the health outcomes of people within local, national and international
settings are enormous, not to mention the benefits gained through the exchange of
knowledge and expertise.
The Division of Women's and Child
Health are committed to the principles of Quality Improvement and ensuring positive
patient outcomes. There are Quality Improvement committees in Newborn Care, Paediatrics
and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A review won the inaugural Liverpool Health Service
Quality Week awards in 1998. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards Clinical
Indicator data is collected routinely for Obstetrics and Gynaecology quality activities.
A Monthly Continuous Quality
Improvement meeting is held that involves representatives from the medical and nursing
sections of the Division at which all serious complaints and adverse outcomes are
discussed and recommendations are made. These are followed up to ensure that the Quality
cycle is complete and where appropriate patient outcomes are improved.
