Safety and quality goals for healthcare developed

Australian Health Ministers have agreed to a set of national goals which identify key safety and quality challenges that will benefit from a coordinated approach to improvement over the next five years. The Australian Safety and Quality Goals for Health Care, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, address:

• Safety of care: That people receive health care without experiencing preventable harm

• Appropriateness of care: That people receive appropriate, evidence-based care

• Partnering with consumers: That there are effective partnerships between consumers and healthcare providers and organisations at levels of healthcare provision, planning and evaluation.

Actions to achieve the Goals can occur in different ways and in different parts of in the health system.