The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards support the right of people with intellectual disability to equitable health care. This page provides further resources to assist those with intellectual disability and their family and supporters to understand and advocate for equitable health care, as part of the Commission’s support for improved health care for people with intellectual disability.
From 1 January 2023, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) became the custodian of a range of Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) functions, expanding our role in QUM stewardship. This follows the redesign of the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology (QUDTP) Program outlined in the 2022–23 Federal Budget.
Status updates for each function can be found below.
The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards support the rights of people with intellectual disability to equitable health care. People with intellectual disability experience significant barriers in accessing safe and quality care evident through a higher mortality rate, increased incidence of preventable illness and more frequent hospital admissions.
In this section, you will find guidance and resources for implementation of the NSQHS Standards, to support healthcare rights and provision of inclusive health care.
Being actively involved in your health care and working in partnership with your healthcare providers can help ensure that you get the care that is right for you.
Effective clinical communication with both consumers and colleagues is essential for a collaborative, shared decision making approach to health care.
Person-centred care must recognise and respect individual needs, beliefs and culture. Understanding the diversity of consumers seen in your organisation can help you design systems that support staff to better meet their needs.
Summary of accreditation outcomes and lessons learnt from the assessment of general practices against the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition) and the RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing (5th edition).
General practices seeking accreditation to the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition) and/or RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing (5th edition), must engage an approved accrediting agency to conduct the accreditation assessment.
Embedding a person-centred approach throughout a healthcare organisation requires the involvement of all staff across various aspects of the patient journey.
Connect with us for the best in person-centred care.
The Network brings together people from Australia and beyond with a shared interest in strengthening the delivery of person-centred care, through peer support and shared learning.
The Commission is hosting a series of free online webinars to highlight the importance of person-centred care for consumers, organisations and healthcare professionals. The webinars will promote successful projects or initiatives that demonstrate practical examples of person-centred care.
The Commission leads and coordinates national initiatives to reduce harm associated with transitions of care. This work addresses the risks for patients moving between healthcare providers including primary, community, acute, subacute, and aged and disability care. Information developed by the Commission helps health service organisations and clinicians identify and implement strategies for improvement.
The National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (NPAAC) is responsible for developing and maintaining the accreditation standards for pathology laboratories in Australia.
Supporting improvements in health care for older people
The Commission supports the safety and quality of health care for older people. This page contains resources that support the delivery of high-quality care of older people across all care settings.
The Commission has developed culturally appropriate resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to raise awareness of sepsis.