Submission to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care: Consultation on the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (third edition)

The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (third edition). The NRHA encourages continued consultation with rural health services, providers, consumers and communities throughout the review process to ensure that the NSQHS Standards (third edition) are practical, flexible and equitable across all geographic contexts. In particular, the NRHA highlights the importance of ensuring that the NSQHS Standards (third edition) are implementable by smaller services, including those in rural and remote areas that operate with limited staffing, infrastructure and access to specialist expertise. While the safety and quality principles are universal, their application must be context-sensitive to avoid unintended consequences, such as increased administrative burden or barriers to accreditation.