Submission to the NSQHS Standards (third edition) Consultation

The Collaborative welcomes the Commission’s work to review the NSQHS Standards and strengthen their ability to support safe, high-quality and person-centred care across the Australian health system.

Australia is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, with more than half of the population born overseas or having a parent born overseas. This cultural and linguistic diversity means that health services must be equipped to provide safe care to
people with different languages, cultural backgrounds, migration experiences and levels of familiarity with the Australian health system. For multicultural Australians, these factors can directly affect safety and quality.

The Collaborative supports the overall direction of the third edition and its emphasis on person-centred practice, clinical governance and safe clinical systems. However, multicultural health equity needs to be made more explicit and measurable throughout the Standards if they are to support safe and equitable care for all Australians.

This submission draws on the Collaborative’s consultations and engagements with multicultural communities across Australia, as well as its submission to the first consultation on the Standards.