Primary and Community Healthcare Standards

“These standards are about saving lives and protecting lives”

The Honourable Greg Hunt (Webcast Launch Event – 12 October 2021)


In October 2021, after years of consultation with healthcare providers and consumers, The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (The Commission) launched the National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards (NSQPCH Standards). These standards describe the processes and structures that are needed in healthcare services to help keep people safe and improve the quality of health care they receive nationwide. Notably, they are the first set of nationally consistent standards for primary and community health providers.

National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards
The NSQPCH Standards apply to any allied health or healthcare practitioner that is involved in the direct care of patients, privately or publicly funded, large or small. The standards aim to address “the prevention, treatment and management of illness or injury”¹ to ensure the delivery of person-centred, safe and high-quality health care Australia wide within the themes of Clinical Governance, Partnering with Consumers Standard and Clinical Safety.


It is worthy to note, that the implementation of the standards for the delivery of safe and high-quality healthcare is the responsibility of all participants within the healthcare setting – from business owner and practitioner to patient.

A key outcome of the NSQPCH Standards, as well as the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards is to make the consumer feel safe and comfortable when accessing healthcare.


Providing this requires: