Governance

Through the generosity of a bequest from the late Mrs Shirley Woolley, the SLHD purchased a  Surgical Robot in late 2015, which makes RPA the first public tertiary referral hospital in Australia to have this state-of-the art technology available.

Taking an innovative approach, SLHD is launching its Surgical Robotic Program, which will be led by the Institute of Academic Surgery (IAS), within a comprehensive research framework. This will mean that every patient being treated by the surgical robot will be part of a research study allowing significant contributions to be made to the current body of evidence surrounding robotic surgery worldwide.

The overall management and governance of the SLHD Surgical Robotic Program is provided by the SLHD Surgical Robotic Program Steering Committee. Co-Chaired by Dr Teresa Anderson, Chief Executive SLHD and Professor Paul Bannon, Co-Chair IAS and including multidisciplinary membership, the main objectives of the steering committee is to:

• Provide strategic management and governance of the SLHD Robotic Program;
• Prioritise the safety of patients and staff involved in the introduction and ongoing use of the da Vinci robot, including development of competencies for all staff;
• Oversee the implementation of the research and training pathways required for utilisation of the da Vinci robot;
• Develop an environment of collaborative learning between all surgical specialities;
• Ensure equitable access of the da Vinci robot.

Reporting to this Steering Committee are the three working groups responsible for managing the Research, Operational and Training components of the robotics program.