The national model provides new guidance on clinical governance that is clear, relevant and effective in helping health services to strive for consistently high-quality care. It replaces the 2017 National Model Clinical Governance Framework.

The release of the model represents a significant change in how clinical governance is understood, led and embedded in health services. Australian Health Ministers have urged all public and private hospitals to implement the national model as part of national efforts to strengthen the safety and accountability of health care.

The vision in releasing the national model is that all acute health services including day hospitals across Australia have the leadership, culture and systems to support delivery of consistently high-quality care.

The national model is a principles-based document, organised around six foundations of clinical governance. Health services can use the model to review and refine their own clinical governance systems and create clear, measurable aims that have meaning for the workforce and meet the needs of their organisation.

The model emphasises the crucial role of boards and executives in establishing the right culture, systems and structures to support the workforce to deliver the best care possible.

Effective implementation of the national model will strengthen health services’ clinical governance arrangements and position them to better address the requirements of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

The six foundations of clinical governance described in the national model will form the structure of the clinical governance standard in the next NSQHS Standards (third edition), currently in development.