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Driving Sustainable Healthcare: The New Healthcare Sustainability and Resilience Module
Developed to address healthcare impacts on the environment and climate risks affecting health outcomes and access to care.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) created the Healthcare Sustainability and Resilience Module (the Sustainability Module)—a framework of actions for health service organisations to integrate sustainability and resilience strategies into safety and quality systems.
This initiative aligns with the Australian Government’s National Health and Climate Strategy, which aims to decarbonise the health system and build resilience across communities.
A Framework for the Future
The Sustainability Module provides a structured set of actions that health service organisations can adopt to reduce their environmental footprint while enhancing their capacity to respond to climate-related risks. Health services can voluntarily implement the module to support their adaptation and mitigation strategies, integrating sustainability into their quality improvement frameworks.
Who Is It For?
The module is designed for health service organisations responsible for delivering care. To be eligible, organisations must already be accredited under one of the Commission’s primary safety and quality standards, including:
- National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards
- National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards (NSQPCH)
- National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations (NSQMHSCMO)
This ensures that sustainability efforts are built upon a foundation of robust clinical governance and quality assurance.
Assessment Process
Assessments under the Sustainability Module are voluntary and will commence in early 2026 (the date to be confirmed by the Commission) and will be conducted alongside standard accreditation reviews. The process uses a maturity scale rating, evaluating how well a health service has integrated sustainability and resilience actions into its operations. Ratings help organisations identify areas for improvement and track progress over time.
Crucially, assessment to the module does not affect accreditation status under other standards. It is an enhancement, not a replacement—designed to support continuous improvement without adding regulatory burden.
The Healthcare Sustainability and Resilience Module marks a transformative step in aligning healthcare quality with environmental responsibility. With ACHS as your accreditation partner, health services can confidently navigate this new frontier—delivering care that is not only safe and effective, but also sustainable and future-ready.
Contact ACHS today to learn more about the assessment integration and start your journey towards climate-resilient care.
