Get Rid Of Stupid Stuff in Victorian Healthcare

We call on the Victorian Government—Premier Jacinta Allan, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Minister Ingrid Stitt and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes—to take action to implement the ‘Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff’ (GROSS) initiative across all Victorian health services.

Victorian healthcare is under immense pressure. With constrained budgets and overstretched resources, every dollar and moment must be spent where it matters most—delivering patient care.

The GROSS initiative is a globally recognised program launched in Hawaii and has been implemented successfully at organisations like the Cleveland Clinic, Western Health and Queensland Health. It is designed to help health services:

·         Identify and eliminate inefficiencies.

·         Boost worker morale and productivity.

·         Redirect resources to frontline care.

For years clinicians, the Australian Medical Association of Victoria and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (Victorian Branch) have raised concerns about inefficiencies in our health system. The Department of Health acknowledges these issues and concerns, yet there is no systematic mechanism to address them. The GROSS initiative provides a proven framework to tackle inefficiencies and ensure health services operate at peak efficiency.

To deliver meaningful change, we call on the Victorian Government to:

·         Announce Government Support for GROSS: Publicly commit to implementing GROSS as a priority initiative to improve productivity, reduce waste, and focus resources on patient care throughout the state.

·         Appoint a High-Level Champion: Appoint Ms Jenny Atta PSM, Secretary of the Department of Health, to lead this initiative and ensure it remains a serious organisational priority.

·         Incorporate GROSS into Statements of Priorities: Embed GROSS into the next round of health services’ Statements of Priorities to drive engagement and accountability across all departments and health services.