Information and communications technology (ICT) is a significant enabler in the delivery of government programs and services.

Public health services routinely use computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) scanners to diagnose, manage and treat medical conditions. These scanners take high-quality images of internal organs and tissues. They are now critical to clinical decisions at key points in a patient's treatment, and can significantly influence patient outcomes.

About 36 000 people die in Victoria each year and this figure is projected to double in the next 25 years. Of those people, about half will die following a period of chronic illness such as heart disease, cancer, stroke or neurological illness—it is these people who will most benefit from palliative care. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of people with terminal illnesses by managing pain and distressing symptoms, and assisting patients to start making choices about how they want to be cared for as they die.

Hospital expenditure is the largest single contributor to the growth in national and state public spending. Of all patients admitted to hospitals, those needing acute care consume the most resources. Acute care addresses health problems that require prompt action, where a patient receives a diagnosis and intensive short-term treatment or surgery for a severe injury, illness or urgent medical condition.

Workplace bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed toward a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. Harassment is treating someone less favourably than another person or group because of a particular characteristic—such as ethnic origin, gender, age, disability or religion.

Patient safety is about avoiding and reducing actual and potential harm. An ageing and increasing population, a constrained health budget, and increasing patient complexity—where patients present with multiple diseases or disorders—are all creating increasing challenges for hospitals to effectively manage patient safety. While patient safety is related to quality of patient care, it differs in that it focuses on potential risks, rather than on whether the care has resulted in the best outcome.

This report presents the outcomes and observations from the financial audits of the nine portfolio departments and the 201 associated entities that are not addressed in our other sector based reports, including the five Victorian alpine resorts.

This report presents the outcomes and observations from the financial audits of the 87 public hospitals and 23 associated entities for the financial year ended 30 June 2014. These entities are responsible for the delivery of public health services across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria.