COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
                                                     HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973
 
                                 DECLARATION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITY
                                                            UNDER SECTION 124X
                                                                   QAA No. 3/2006
 
 
I, ANTHONY JOHN ABBOTT, Minister for Health and Ageing, under section 124X of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act):
 
DECLARE the activities described in the Schedule to this Declaration (the Activities) to be quality assurance activities to which Part VC of the Act applies, being satisfied in relation to each of the Activities that:
(i)  the persons engaging in the Activities are authorised to do so by an association of health professionals; and
        
(ii)  it is in the public interest that Part VC of the Act apply to the Activities having regard to the criteria prescribed in regulations 23C to 23G (inclusive) of the Health Insurance Regulations 1975.
 
This Declaration commences on 6 November 2006.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
…………  Tony Abbott………………………………………………………
 
                   Minister for Health and Ageing
 
 
                   Dated:         6/11/2006                     
 
                                                                      SCHEDULE
                                                                   QAA No. 3/2006
DECLARED QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES TO WHICH PART VC OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973 APPLIES
 
Item                                                                Description of Quality Assurance Activity
________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
1.         Person engaging in activity:          Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
 
            Title:                                          Audit of Surgical Mortality (ASM)
 
            Description:                                The Activity will establish a register of surgical mortality for all deaths that occurred within 30 days of surgery, or occurred on a surgical ward.  For each death a comprehensive and independent review of the sequences of events prior to the death will be carried out.  The results of each review will be provided to the operating surgeon, and where relevant to the anaesthetist.  Analysis and reporting of the aggregate data will also be undertaken. 
 
2.         Person engaging in activity:     Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
 
            Title:                                         Laparoscopy in gynaecology and surgery: practice review using audit of errors for improving safety
 
            Description:                              The Activity will enable specialists in rural and remote areas to assess and evaluate laparoscopy in a rural setting and compare and benchmark results.  The Activity will also provide a support network for developing and implementing action plans for change to improve patient outcomes.
 
3.         Person engaging in activity:          Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS)
 
              Title:                                        Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Intensive Care Registry
 
              Description:                              The Activity involves studying the incidence, aetiology, severity and outcome of paediatric critical illness and injury, characterised by the requirement for admission to paediatric intensive care units in Australia.
 
4.           Person engaging in activity:       Australian Orthopaedic Association.
 
              Title:                                        National Joint Replacement Registry.
 
              Description:                              The Activity involves monitoring the outcomes of joint replacement surgery in Australia, whenever that surgery may have taken place.