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ACHS at the IHI BMJ International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2025 in Canberra
As the National Strategic Partner, ACHS was pleased to open a Forum session, provide a presentation on the Future of Accreditation by our CEO Dr Karen Luxford, deliver two interactive workshops and a poster presentation showcasing how building improvement capability drives better outcomes across the healthcare system.
From 19–21 November 2025, global health leaders, innovators, and changemakers came together in Canberra for the IHI BMJ International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare. Jointly organised by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and BMJ Group, the Forum has a rich history of supporting and energising the international movement for health and care improvement. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) was proud to contribute to the Forum as the Strategic Partner.
ACHS Improvement Academy Workshops Recap
In line with this year’s program theme, ‘Think differently, start small, have impact,’ the ACHS Improvement Academy (IA) ran two workshops focusing on improvement, collaboration and capability. The first workshop titled, ‘Shorten the Search for Answers: spreading improvement at scale and pace,’ explored contemporary approaches to accelerate the speed of spread of great ideas that improve the quality and safety of care and makes healthcare a more rewarding place to work.
To bring these concepts to life, participants took part in an interactive activity that showcased teamwork and creative problem-solving. Working in small groups, they were challenged to think outside the box by constructing the tallest possible tower using pasta and marshmallows. This activity demonstrated how innovation and collaboration can unlock new approaches to improvement.
Pictured: Mr Peiter Walker and workshop participants
In the second IA workshop, ‘Building Improvement Capability – to enhance in improvements in patient experience, safety and service costs,’ senior Australian system leaders shared personal narratives and more than three decades of experience in leading healthcare transformation. They described how leadership development, digital innovation, strengthened patient safety standards, and collaborative networks had collectively improved national improvement capability.
Embedding Improvement Capability in Practice: A National Model for Clinical Leadership
At this year’s IHI BMJ Forum, Katie Robinson and Associate Professor Bernie Harrison, representing the ACHS Improvement Academy, presented a compelling model for building clinical leadership and strengthening improvement capability.
Our poster, 'Embedding Improvement Capability in Practice: A National Model for Clinical Leadership', highlighted a core challenge facing health organisations: limited formal quality improvement training across professions. While not every staff member needs to be an expert in improvement science, Katie and Bernie emphasised the importance of building foundational awareness and training at scale to grow skills, confidence, and leadership across all levels of the workforce.
To address gaps in workforce readiness, ACHS developed the Quality Improvement Lead (QIL) Program, a peer-led, case-based training model grounded in real-world learning.
The QIL Model: Learning by Doing
The program focuses on three stages:
- LEARN: This consists of theory taught by experienced improvement experts through live and virtual interactive sessions
- APPLY: Theory is applied through real-time, workplace-based projects. It involves group and 1:1 coaching for accountability and growth
- LEAD: Involves opportunities for peer-led learning and collaboration. This includes project summary publication and opportunities for recognition through QI recognition initiatives like the ACHS QI Awards.
You can learn more about our QIL Program here. Enrolment for 2026 is now open, with a course start date of 12 March 2026.
Thank you to the Forum organisers, presenters and speakers for creating an inspiring platform to share learning, innovation, and global improvement insights.
