Audit tools for National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

Clinical Excellence Queensland is strongly committed to supporting our health services in achieving and surpassing the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards. A range of audit tools have been developed for facilities to use to collect data and evidence of meeting the standards, including:

  • a ‘how to’ guide on using the tools
  • a definition sheet to assist in completing the tools
  • specific audit tools that collect and collate information at the patient, ward/unit and facility level, as well as a measurement plan summary for each standard that defines the goals, questions and responses in the audit tools. The plans provide an understanding of how the questions in the audit tool have a direct association with the actions required in the standard.
Clinical Governance Standard

The intent of this standard is to implement a clinical governance framework that ensures that patients and consumers receive safe and high-quality health care.

Audit tools

Partnering with Consumers Standard

The intent of this standard is to create an organisation in which there are mutually valuable outcomes by having consumers as partners in planning, design, delivery, measurement and evaluation of systems and services; and patients as partners in their own care, to the extent that they choose.

Audit tools

Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-Associated Infection Standard

The intent of this standard is to reduce the risk of patients acquiring preventable healthcare-associated infections, effectively manage infections if they occur, and limit the development of antimicrobial resistance through prudent use of antimicrobials as part of antimicrobial stewardship.

More information is available on the Disease and infection prevention internet site.

Medication Safety Standard

The intent of this standard is to ensure clinicians are competent to safely prescribe, dispense and administer appropriate medicines and to monitor medicine use; and to ensure consumers are informed about medicines and understand their individual medicines needs and risks.

Audit tools

Comprehensive Care Standard

The intent of this standard is to ensure that patients receive comprehensive care – that is coordinated delivery of the total health care required or requested by a patient. This care is aligned with the patient’s expressed goals of care and healthcare needs, considers the effect of the patient’s health issues on their life and wellbeing, and is clinically appropriate; and to ensure that risks of harm for patients during health care are prevented and managed; and clinicians identify patients at risk of specific harm during health care by applying the screening and assessment processes required in this standard.

Audit tools

Communicating for Safety Standard

The intent of this standard is to ensure timely, purpose-driven and effective communication and documentation that support continuous, coordinated and safe care for patients.

Audit tools

Blood Management Standard

The intent of this standard is to identify risks, and put in place strategies, to ensure that a patient’s own blood is optimised and conserved, and that any blood and blood products the patient receives are appropriate and safe.

Audit tools

Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard

The intent of this standard is to ensure that a person’s acute deterioration is recognised promptly and appropriate action is taken. Acute deterioration includes physiological changes, as well as acute changes in cognition and mental state.

Audit tools

Other resources
Last updated: 5 December 2019