Australasian Sonographers Association

Member Area Login

If this is the first time you are logging into the ASA website or you can't remember your password, please select Get a new password below to be sent a link to your registered email address.

Have your say on the future of Australia’s healthcare standards | NSQHS Standards (3rd Edition) public consultation

Thursday, 13 August 2026

Have your say on the future of Australia’s healthcare standards | NSQHS Standards (3rd edition) public consultation

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is inviting feedback on the initial draft of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (3rd edition).

The public consultation closes on 25 September 2026.

The review seeks to ensure the standards reflect the complexity of today’s healthcare system and represents the biggest structural change since the second edition was released in 2017. The Commission has outlined its Rationale for Change. 

The standards are mandatory for public and private hospitals, day hospitals and day procedure services, and many public dental services.

Among other things, the draft third edition proposes:

  • Consolidating the current eight standards into three integrated standards (clinical governance, person-centre practice, and safe clinical systems)
  • A shift in focus away from compliance, towards continuous improvement and improved patient outcomes
  • A stronger focus on person-centre care and culturally safe and inclusive care.

Health professionals, clinical research professionals, and consumers can provide feedback in several ways, including

as outlined on the NSQHS Standards (third edition) Engagement Hub.

Members are also welcome to email the ASA Policy and Advocacy team at policy@sonographers.org.

The Commission is particularly interested to understand whether the draft Standards:

  • reflect key safety and quality priorities
  • clearly describe expectations for health service organisations
  • support the delivery of high-quality care
  • reduce compliance burden while maintaining safety and quality
  • are clear, easy to understand and free from unnecessary duplication.

Timeline:

The public consultation closes on 25 September 2026. Feedback will be used to inform the next version of the draft Standards, which will be piloted by health services in 2027, ahead of the expected release in 2028, with assessment due to commence in 2030.