VPRS 18812 General Committee and Board of Management Minutes

This series comprises the minutes of the General Committee and Board of Management of the Queen Victoria Medical Centre (VA 1254). The General Committee and its successor, the Board of Management, was the prime decision making body of the hospital and responsible for the overall management. The General Committee existed from the beginning of the Hospital in 1896, and the inaugural meeting was held in St. David’s Hall, La Trobe street, Melbourne on 9 December 1896. Dr. Constance Stone Chaired the meeting.   The earliest minutes reveal that meetings of the General Committee were held weekly.  During 1974, the General Committee was renamed the Board of Management and the board’s advisory committees were restructured on recommendation from the Sub-Committee on Governance.  In 1974 many of the standing committees and their functions were absorbed to form the Executive Committee, renamed the Executive and Finance Committee in 1976. Those standing committees were the Finance Committee, House Committee, Jessie McPherson Community Hospital Sub-Committee, Priorities Sub-Committee and the Building Committee.  The minute book covering the period 19 July 1974 - 8 October 1976 includes meetings of the Executive Committee and the Executive and Finance Committee. The minutes for both these committees after this time can be found in the associated Committee Minutes series (VPRS 18823), as well as the committee minutes for those that were retained as advisory committees without executive authority. Other new committees that were formed at the time included the Joint Consultation Committee for consideration of medical staff matters and the Facilities Utilization Committee whose duty primarily was to regularly review the occupancy of beds in the hospital and to recommend changes where need for adjustment was evident. The minutes of these committees can be found in the associated Committee Minutes series (VPRS 18823). Additionally, the House Committee (VPRS 18817), which was absorbed initially by the Executive Committee, was reconstituted in 1975 and monitored patients' comfort and welfare. The Finance Committee (VPRS 18820) which was also absorbed, was reconstituted in 1978.  All of the Board members were on one or more of the advisory committees.  The Board of Management met every two months and the final meeting was held on 4 December 1986.  Other series comprising minutes of committees that reported to the General Committee and the Board of Management include:  Advisory Board Minutes (VPRS 18816) House Committee Minutes (VPRS 18817) Finance Committee Minutes (VPRS 18820) Building Committee Minutes (VPRS 18821)