The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) is gathering feedback on the draft third edition of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
Released for public consultation, the initial draft of the NSQHS Standards (third edition) includes requirements to improve the cultural safety and quality of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The consultation is open until 2 October 2026.
How to get involved
We are keen to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including consumers, families, carers, communities, health professionals and community-controlled organisations.
Your experiences, knowledge and expertise are critical to shaping the future of culturally safe, high-quality health care and improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
You can provide feedback via:
- survey
- submission
- attending a First Nations health professional forum
- speaking with the Commission’s Advice Centre - 1800 304 056.
Standards for First Nations Cultural Safety Review
In parallel, the Commission is coordinating a First Nations-led project to analyse evidence and inform recommendations about national standards for cultural safety for hospitals. The findings from this project and lessons from the co-design processes will be combined with feedback from the public consultation on the NSQHS Standards to help shape the requirements for the next draft of the third edition.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, lived experience and expertise are critical to both consultations and will help shape future approaches to culturally safe care.
More information
Visit the NSQHS Standards (third edition) Engagement Hub or email AdviceCentre@safetyandquality.gov.au.
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