Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC)

Acronym
ACSQHC
Type
Standards Development Organisation

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) is the national health care standards agency for all health services, general practices, pathology and medical imaging providers in Australia.

The commission has developed national care standards for all health services (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards), as well as more specific standards for general practices and allied health (Primary and Community Healthcare Standards), mental health services (Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations), and clinical care delivered in aged care settings (Aged Care Quality Standards).

The Commission works in partnership with patients, carers, clinicians, the Australian state and territory health systems, the private sector, managers, and healthcare organisations to achieve a safe, high-quality and sustainable health system. A result of their work in the development of clinical standards that help to ensure safe healthcare for Australians.  

Key functions of the Commission include; developing national safety and quality standards, developing clinical care standards to improve the implementation of evidence-based health care, coordinating work in specific areas to improve outcomes for patients, and providing information, publications and resources about safety and quality.

Browse the ACSQHC standards website.

Resources

Acute Anaphylaxis Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
November 2021
This clinical care standard describes the care that patients should receive when they have anaphylaxis. It applies to adults, children and infants, including those who experience anaphylaxis while in a healthcare facility.

Acute Coronary Syndromes Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
December 2019
This clinical care standard describes the care that patients with a suspected ACS should receive, from the onset of symptoms through to discharge from hospital. It addresses recognition of an ACS, rapid assessment, early management and early initiation of a tailored rehabilitation plan.

Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
October 2019
This clinical care standard describes the care that patients should receive when they are or may be having a stroke. It covers recognition of stroke, rapid assessment, early management, and early initiation of an individualised rehabilitation plan.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
November 2020
This clinical care standard describes the care people of all ages should receive when they have or may have infection or require an antimicrobial for prophylaxis.

Cataract Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
August 2021
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by people aged 18+ who have cataract, in all healthcare settings.

Colonoscopy Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
January 2020
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by adults undergoing colonoscopy for screening, diagnosis, surveillance or treatment.

Delirium Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2016
Updated
September 2021
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by adults when they have delirium.

Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme Standards

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2016
These standards provide a consistent statement on the level of care consumers can expect from diagnostic imaging practices.

Guidelines for approved pathology collection centres v3

Category
Guideline
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
3
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
2013
These guidelines set out minimum requirements for medical pathology specimen collection. The requirements apply to approved collection centres, hospital collection points and any collection activity connected to an approved pathology authority.

Health Insurance (Accredited Pathology Laboratories-Approval) Principles 2017

Category
Regulatory
Organisation
ACSQHC
ID
F2023C00713 (C13)
Type
Standard
Version
13
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
August 2023
This document is a compilation of the Health Insurance (Accredited Pathology Laboratories-Approval) Principles 2017, it provides the principles by which decisions are made on the approval, refusal, and variation or revocation of approval of a premises as an accredited pathology laboratory.

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
October 2017
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by women of reproductive age who have heavy menstrual bleeding.

Hip Fracture Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
September 2023
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by people with a suspected hip fracture, from presentation to hospital through to completion of treatment and discharge from hospital.

Literature review: Safety and quality in diagnostic imaging

Category
Supplementary Resource
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
July 2022
This literature review describes the national and international standards that underpin diagnostic imaging, as well as strategies to improve patient safety, quality and unwarranted variation in diagnostic imaging.

Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
September 2022
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by patients aged 16+ who present with low back pain, with or without leg pain

National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2023
The National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards have been developed to protect the public from harm and improve the quality of cosmetic surgery in Australia.

National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2020
The National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health (NSQMH) Standards were developed to improve the quality of digital mental health service provision and protect users from harm.

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards v2

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
ID
NSQHS Standards
Type
Standard
Version
2
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
May 2021
The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS Standards) provide a quality assurance mechanism for testing whether systems are in place to meet safety and quality standards.

Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
May 2017
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by patients aged 45+ when they have knee pain and may have knee osteoarthritis.

Requirements for cervical screening v1

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
1
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2023
This document describes the standard of care consumers can expect from pathology laboratories that test self-collected vaginal swabs, specifying the minimum standards that pathology laboratories must meet.

Requirements for medical pathology services v3

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
3
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
2018
The Requirement for Medical Pathology Services (Third Edition 2018) outlines standards for good medical pathology practice.

Requirements for medical testing for human genetic variation

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
3
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2022
This standard sets out the expected level of practice required by laboratories for medical testing of heritable and non-heritable human genetic variation.

Requirements for medical testing of microbial nucleic acids

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
2
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2013
This standard sets out the requirements that apply to tests for detecting, characterising and quantifying nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in medical pathology laboratories that test for microorganisms that can or may cause disease in humans.

Requirements for point of care testing

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
2
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2021
This standard sets out the minimum requirements for governance, management systems, staff training, safety, environmental issues, and specimen and result integrity related to the performance of point of care testing.

Requirements for procedures related to the collection, processing, storage and issue of human haemopoietic progenitor cells v6

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
6
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2021
This document outlines the standards that must be met by laboratories and other facilities involved in donor selection, collection, processing, storage and issue or disposal of directed minimally manipulated: haemopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), cord blood, and donor lymphocytes.

Requirements for semen analysis

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
1
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2017
This document sets out the minimum requirements for best practice in performing pathology-based semen analysis.

Requirements for the facilities and operation of mortuaries

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Version
3
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2013
This document outlines the minimum best practice for mortuaries in hospitals and forensic units, including design, construction, provision of services and communication.

Requirements for transfusion laboratory practice v5

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
ID
D22-40385
Type
Standard
Version
5
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
2022
This document outlines practice standards that assure the safety, quality and efficacy of transfusion testing, associated transfusion laboratory practice, and non-transfusion related blood group immunohaematology testing.

Sepsis Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
June 2022
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by patients of all ages (including neonates and older people) presenting with signs and symptoms of sepsis in primary and community care, acute and non-acute settings.

Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
November 2022
This clinical care standard describes the care that should be received by pregnant women to reduce their chance of experiencing a stillbirth.

Third and Fourth Degree Perineal Tears Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Created
April 2021
This clinical care standard describes the care that women should receive when they are pregnant or experience a third or fourth degree perineal tear during birth.

Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Clinical Care Standard

Category
Standard
Organisation
ACSQHC
Type
Standard
Access
Open
Status
Active
Updated
January 2020
This clinical care standard describes the care that patients aged 18+ should receive to reduce their risk of developing hospital-acquired VTE both in hospital and following discharge.

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