On 2 September 2022, Australian Health Ministers announced reforms to ensure doctors performing cosmetic surgery are appropriately qualified and work to the highest health safety standards expected in Australia. As part of these reforms the Commission developed a National Licensing Framework and National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards. The Cosmetic Surgery Standards were officially launched on 14 December 2023, following broad consultation with consumers, clinicians, services, professional and peak bodies, regulators and other representatives of the sector. The National […]

Australian Standards have released the long-awaited new standard for reprocessing of reusable medical devices and other devices in health- and non-health-related facilities.  Relevant settings including general practice and office- and community-based practice, the standard is now being reviewed by the government, and implementation timelines are expected in 2024.  

The objective of Clean Hospitals Day, celebrated each year on October 20, is to raise awareness and foster engagement among healthcare facilities around the world.  

With the theme “Stay Up to Date. Vaccinate!”, Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) announced the creation of Australia’s inaugural Whooping Cough Day on November 8. The day highlights the ongoing threat posed by whooping cough (pertussis) and encourages Australians of all ages to remain up to date with booster vaccination. The campaign reminds people to check their whooping cough immunisation status, provides practical information about boosters and how to access them, and emphasises the importance of adult, pregnancy, and childhood […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 29 September, the recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2024 influenza season in the southern hemisphere. The announcement was made at an information session at the end of a 4-day meeting on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines, a meeting that is held twice annually. WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts gathered from WHO Collaborating Centres and WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories to analyse influenza virus […]

World Rabies Day is celebrated every year on the 28th September – the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur (who developed the first rabies vaccine), to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this disease. This year, the theme focuses on the need for collaboration of animal and human health professionals in eliminating rabies to achieve the global goal of ‘Zero by 30’ – global elimination of dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030, the most common […]

The national COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program will be closing as of 1 October 2023.  From this date the Department of Health and Aged Care will no longer be producing the new COVID-19 Vaccine Training Modules and the COVID-19 e-learning platform will close. Completion of the national training will remain a mandatory requirements up to and including Saturday 30 September 2023.  The learning platform will continue to be available as module completion and certificate downloads will still be required during this […]

This Sunday is World Patient Safety Day, a global movement to champion safer healthcare practices. This year’s World Patient Safety Day theme, ‘Engaging patients for patient safety’, highlights the vital role patients and consumers play in shaping the safety and quality of our healthcare system. Patient and consumer voices shape our practice, improve outcomes, and contribute to a positive safety culture. Working in partnership with patients, their families, carers and the wider community is critical to achieving a healthcare system […]

On World Sepsis Day, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) recognise efforts across the globe to strive for better sepsis care, and to reduce the impact of this life-threatening illness. Every year 55,000 Australians are diagnosed with sepsis and more than 8,700 lose their lives. The Commission is committed to reducing the devastating impact of sepsis and improving outcomes for survivors. The Commission continues to work in partnership with The George Institute for Global Health and Sepsis […]

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has developed two eLearning modules to support infection prevention and control in aged care. The Basics of infection prevention and control for aged care module provides a foundation in infection prevention and control for all aged care workers. The module can be used during induction or for refresher training. The Infection prevention and control in aged care – training support resource is designed for registered nurses, infection prevention and control leads and others […]