A New Direction for Clinical Governance

The new National Model for Clinical Governance offers a contemporary approach to strengthening governance across the health sector.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (The Commission) has introduced the 2026 National Model for Clinical Governance to provide health services with a contemporary, principles-based approach to strengthening clinical governance.

Gillian Giles, Executive Director Clinical Governance at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, is showcasing the new model at various events. She has explained the factors that led to its development and the need to rethink how clinical governance is understood and practised.

Understanding the challenges

The development of the new model began with consultation across the health sector. The Commission spoke with board chairs, board members and chief executives to understand the issues most prominent for health service leaders across the country.

The consultation highlighted concerns ranging from the possibility of significant service failures occurring in areas that had not been identified as risks, to the considerable effort required not only to establish a healthy workforce culture but to sustain it over time.

The Commission also consulted with nursing, allied health and medical groups, consumer and First Nations peak bodies, colleges and professional societies. This work was complemented by a review of national and international literature and an environmental scan of contemporary approaches to clinical governance.

Several key challenges were identified in the way clinical governance is understood and implemented across health services. These included inconsistent understanding of clinical governance, an overemphasis on processes rather than outcomes, and siloed approaches that can limit understanding of the relationship between leadership, culture, systems and clinical practice. Together, these challenges highlighted the need for practical guidance to support boards, executive teams and health services to develop a more integrated, organisation-wide approach to clinical governance.

A contemporary approach to clinical governance

The Commission's original clinical governance framework, released in 2017, was developed for the healthcare environment at that time. Since then, the sector has continued to evolve.

Developments in digital health and artificial intelligence, increasingly complex models of integrated care, and a greater understanding of cultural safety and environmental sustainability have contributed to a changing healthcare landscape.

The new model provides a contemporary approach that is intended to reflect these developments. It is designed to elevate clinical governance to the level of boards and leadership teams while ensuring that its purpose is understood across the organisation. The model has a strong emphasis on care that is person-centred, safe, effective, accessible and integrated, and provided in a way that is equitable, efficient and sustainable.

Clinical governance as an organisation-wide responsibility

The new model is structured around six interconnected foundations:

Leading systems & organisational culture

Partnering with patients, carers & consumers

Building a healthy workforce culture

Enabling high-quality, integrated clinical practice

Managing and reducing risk

Using data for better care

Source: The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Together, these elements respond to the challenges identified during the model's development. A central principle is that clinical governance is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a means of supporting the delivery of high-quality care.

Ultimately, the new National Model provides a shared language and framework to help health services consider whether their people, culture, systems and structures are aligned towards a common purpose of the delivery of high-quality care. Visit the Commissions website to learn more.

The ACHS Improvement Academy is running a free ACHS Member Orientation introducing the new National Model for Clinical Governance. Contact your CSM for more information.