Clinical governance

Clinical governance is central to providing the best outcomes for patients. It is the combination of culture, systems and processes that enables everyone in a health service to deliver care that is consistently high quality and improving. 

It is the system by which boards, executives, clinical leaders and the workforce are accountable to patients and the community for providing high-quality care - care that is person-centred, safe, effective, accessible, and integrated in a system that is equitable, efficient and sustainable.

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The Commission has renewed its focus on clinical governance to provide updated national guidance that incorporates new national and international thinking, reflects the current needs of health services, and that is clear and easy to implement. 

Our vision is that all health services in Australia have the leadership, culture and systems to provide consistently high-quality care.

New national model

We are developing a new national model that will provide consistency in how Australia describes, understands and implements clinical governance to achieve high-quality health care. The model will replace the 2017 National Model Clinical Governance Framework.

We are conducting a targeted consultation on the draft model. The final model will be released in early 2026, along with a range of practical implementation resources for health services. 

For more information on the consultation, email us at clinicalgovernance@safetyandquality.gov.au

Revising the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

The Commission has started a national consultation to inform the development of the NSQHS Standards (third edition) in collaboration with the healthcare system and community representatives. The new clinical governance standard will be based on the new clinical governance model.

Visit the NSQHS Standards (third edition) Engagement Hub

Practical resources

We are developing resources to support health services to establish or improve their work in clinical governance. We will launch a clinical governance resource hub in early 2026.

Clinical Governance Advisory Committee

Name Position 
Mr Michael Gorton AM (Chair)
  • Consultant, Russell Kennedy Lawyers
  • Chair, Monash Health, Wellways Australia and Holmesglen Institute
  • Board member, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Victorian TAFE Association
Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO
  • Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Board
  • Professor (Enterprise), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne
  • Chair, Healthdirect Australia and The Royal Children’s Hospital
Dr Cathy Balding
  • Adjunct Professor, James Cook University
  • Board Director, RSL LifeCare
  • Director, Qualityworks PL 
Ms Elleni Bereded-Samuel AM
  • Executive Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, Great Care Pty Ltd.
  • Board member, Royal Children’s Hospital
Dr Peggy Brown AO
  • Consultant psychiatrist
  • Chair, Mental Health Australia
Ms Suzanne Cadigan
  • Board member, Children’s Health Queensland, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Karuna Hospice
Ms Christine Gee AM
  • Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Private Hospital Sector Committee
  • Director, Ramsay Mental Health Australia
Professor David Greenfield
  • Professor of Health Leadership and Management, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales
Mr Tony Kiessler
  • Chief Executive Officer, Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association
  • Member, National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance
Dr Audrey Koay
  • Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Inter-Jurisdictional Committee
  • Executive Director, Patient Safety and Quality, Clinical Excellence Division, Department of Health, Western Australia
Ms Louise McKinlay
  • Deputy Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Inter-Jurisdictional Committee
  • Chief Executive Officer, Safer Care Victoria
Professor Jennifer Martin
  • Chair of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle
  • President, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Associate Professor Aunty Carmen Parter
  • Chief Executive Officer, Girudala Community Cooperative Society
  • Board member, Ahpra
Professor Judy Searle
  • Chair, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network Governing Board
Ms Maureen Williams
  • Consumer representative, Emergency Medicine Foundation
  • Consumer consultant, Institute for Communication in Health Care, Australian National University
  • Member, Consumer Leaders Taskforce, Health Consumers NSW 
Find more in our resource library
Governance
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