Risk Management
Risk Management comprises the culture, structures and procedures that are directed towards identifying and managing risks to individuals (patients, staff and visitors) or to the services provided by the organisation. In Hunter New England Local Health Network (HNELHN), identified risks are escalated through a formal notification process to the officer required to instigate the appropriate risk treatment.
Risks within HNELHN are being managed every day by staff in areas. In their daily clinical practice, doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and managers manage risks to improve patient outcomes, and these risks form the basis of the clinical risk management activities in clinical service delivery. Clinical Risk Management is considered core business of Clinical Governance in HNELHN and Clinical Governance works to support clinicians and managers in identifying and mitigating risks to patient safety.
The objective of the NSW Health Risk Management - Enterprise-Wide Policy and Framework - NSW Health (PD2009_039) is to provide clear guidance and instructions on how risks are to be managed. To clarify this further HNELHN have localised the NSW Health Risk Management Policy and Framework into a HNELHN policy compliance procedure. This includes defining how risks are identified, managed and reported through governance committees such as the Health Care Quality Committee, the Audit and Risk Management Committee and through Management Committees such as the Area Executive and the Finance and Resource Committee. Extreme risks are also escalated to NSW Health on a quarterly basis.
Whether risks are identified as clinical or non-clinical they are collectively considered as corporate risks. Priority attention is given to higher-rated risks. Staff of the HNELHN utilise this triaged approach to ensure long-term benefits to all those affected. Extreme and high risks are expected to be escalated to the relevant Area Executive Portfolio Director to ensure that risks have been managed to an acceptable level, based on delegation of authority and capacity to mitigate the identified risk.
The current support staff are the Clinical Risk Project Manager in Clinical Governance who works in close partnership with the Area Corporate Risk Manager in ensuring the systems and processes are consistent with the HNELHN integrated approach to clinical and corporate risk management. This integrated approach includes:
- The HNELHN Risk Management Policy Complaince Procedure expresses the commitment, intention and expectations of the health service's strategic goals and objectives with respect to risk management.
- The Risk Management Framework describes the management structures through which risks are managed, including links through to Executive Management and Governance Committees.
- Procedures that require that risks are escalated according to the authority required to instigate the risk treatment. The Risk Escalator shows that extreme and high risks are escalated to the relevant Area Executive Portfolio Director, who ensures that these risks have been managed to an acceptable level
In response to the introduction of NSW Health Policy Directive PD2009_039 Risk Management – Enterprise-Wide Policy and Framework, HNELHN has developed a policy compliance procedure and is currently implementing the framework. This includes updating the Risk Register (IRMS) and and other relevant risk management documents.
In 2007, Hunter New England Health was awarded an Extensive Achievement (EA) score for its approach to risk management during Corporate Accreditation by the Australian Council on Health Care Standards in 2007 and continues to strive to maintain this rating.
For more information about clinical risk management, please contact Dr Anne Duggan, Associate Director, Clinical Governance: Anne.Duggan@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au or phone 4921 4466 or Ms Kimberley Sayner, Corporate Risk Manager, on 6767 8233 on Kimberley.Sayner@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
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