Table 1 The New South Wales Agency for Clinical Innovation clinical network model

Goal

The goals of the networks are to improve health services and health outcomes by developing services based on clinical need, improving the quality of care and safety for patients, increasing equity of access and equity of outcomes within the hospital system, and enabling clinician-and consumer-driven planning.

Membership

The clinical networks are composed of volunteer health professionals across a range of clinical areas to disseminate knowledge on evidence-based care.

Structure

The networks are free to select those issues that they believe will be effective in improving care. Each network is chaired by clinicians, has a Network Manager employed by the Agency, and implements activities in association with State Health Department and the Area Health Services.

Inputs to support networks

To support the networks, the Agency provides

• funds to employ a Network Manager and approximately AUD$30000 for small projects and operations;

• training and support for the Network Managers;

• funds for larger-scale projects on a competitive basis of approximately AUD$100000 (per project);

• accommodation and office facilities for the Network Managers, most of whom are located together in the main Agency office;

• bimonthly meetings for Network Managers to report on activities, discuss common problems, and share ideas and potential solutions;

• monitoring of progress and feedback by close involvement in network activities, ongoing supervision of managers, and overview of annual reports from each network that address their activities against their annual plans;

• profiling of the work of the networks through formal annual reports.