National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHSS) 

We have been completing assessments to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards since 2013. NSQHS Standards specify the level of care Australians can expect from healthcare services providers and over the years we have worked with many health services to achieve certification to these standards.

The NSQHS standards are about ensuring consistency, reliability and excellence in health care service delivery. As a specialist health assessment organisation approved to these standards, we believe in playing our part in achieving these objectives. We’re one of the few organisations in Australia internationally accredited by International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (IEEA) and the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).

When you choose HDAA as your assessment partner, you’re choosing an accreditation agency that considers your organisation in its entirety, supporting your quest for improvement and effective risk management. We bring considerable expertise and knowledge to assessments that involve complex operational organisations and environments. We’ve worked with many health services as they progressively implement the NSQHS Standards – so we know the hurdles and the incremental steps it can take to get to where you want to be.

We will do everything we can to make your assessment experience positive and beneficial to your organisation.

Please Contact Us to find out how we can help you.

Looking for an Accredited Provider?

Health Services accredited by HDAA can be viewed at this link:  HDAA Health Certificate Register.

About the NSQHS Standards

The NSQHS Standards were approved by Australian Health Ministers in September 2011 with NSQHSS accreditation for hospitals and day procedure services commencing in January 2013.

The introduction of NSQHS Standards and reforms under the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation (AHSSQA) Scheme had significant implications for many health services nationally, as they commenced participation in third-party accreditation processes, many for the first time.

The NSQHS Standards (2nd Edition) specify nationally consistent quality standards that assure those using health services of the quality of health services they should expect.  The standards cover:

  1. Clinical governance.
  2. Partnering with consumers.
  3. Preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections.
  4. Medication safety.
  5. Comprehensive care.
  6. Communicating for safety.
  7. Blood management.
  8. Recognising and responding to acute deterioration.

Resources to assist health services prepare for an assessment to the NSQHSS are available on the ACSQHC website and are accessible in the NSQHS Standards Resources section below. You can also contact us at any time if you have questions about the latest Second Edition standards and how they apply to your practice.

NSQHS Standards Resources

For more information about scheme requirements, please see:

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has produced a number of Advisories and Fact Sheets related to the assessment process. NSQHS Standards advisories are available hereThese advisories cover updates to the Standards and assessment related matters.

NSQHS Standards Fact sheets are available hereThese fact sheets provide details of assessment requirements, guidance on assessment preparation and further information related to the clinical and organisational requirements of the Standards.

The above resources are very useful in helping health service organisations align their patient safety and quality improvement programs using the framework of the NSQHS Standards.

If you want more information than that provided in the advisories and fact sheets, the Commission has a NSQHS Standards Advice Centre with the following contact details.

HDAA are a specialist health assessment organisation approved to assess health service organisations using the NSQHSS.

Click the button below to get in contact with our expert team today.