Partnering with Consumers: What the Next NSQHS Standards Mean for Healthcare

Australia’s National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards have shaped quality and safety across the health system for more than a decade. As work continues on the third edition, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is seeking feedback on how the Standards can better support contemporary healthcare, including person-centred care, cultural safety, learning health systems and consumer partnership.

While the revised Standards won’t be finalised until 2028, the consultation provides an early indication of where expectations are heading. Among the Commission’s priorities are strengthening clinical governance, supporting continuous improvement and ensuring consumers remain central to the planning, delivery and evaluation of healthcare.

For engagement professionals, it’s a timely reminder that consumer partnership continues to evolve alongside the health system itself.

Consumer partnership extends beyond one standard

Consumer partnership has long been recognised through the Partnering with Consumers Standard, but the development of the third edition reflects a broader direction across the health system.

Rather than viewing engagement as the responsibility of one team or one standard, the consultation highlights the importance of embedding consumer perspectives across governance, safety, quality improvement and service delivery.

This reflects the reality that meaningful engagement rarely sits within a single project or accreditation requirement. It relies on clinicians, executives, engagement practitioners and consumers working together to improve services and outcomes.

Consumer partnership is everyone’s responsibility

One of the themes emerging through the consultation is that partnering with consumers is becoming increasingly interconnected with other aspects of healthcare, including clinical governance, cultural safety and person-centred care.

For engagement professionals, this reinforces the value of involving consumers early, creating opportunities for meaningful participation and ensuring engagement is considered alongside broader organisational priorities—not as a standalone activity.

It also reflects a growing recognition that people with lived experience bring valuable insights that can strengthen service design, improve patient experiences and contribute to safer, more responsive healthcare.

The same shift towards meaningful partnership is also reflected in the recently released NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research, signalling a broader movement across the health sector to embed lived experience earlier and more meaningfully in decision-making.

Looking ahead

The third edition of the NSQHS Standards is still under development, but it provides a valuable opportunity for organisations to reflect on how consumer partnership is embedded across everyday practice—not just within accreditation activities.

For engagement professionals, the message is clear: meaningful consumer partnership is becoming an increasingly important part of planning, delivering and improving health services.

As organisations reflect on how consumer partnership is embedded across their services, it’s also an opportunity to consider how engagement is supported across the organisation—not just within dedicated engagement teams. EngageMark provides organisations with an independent way to benchmark engagement capability and identify opportunities to strengthen practice over time.

Learn more

To explore more insights, case studies and practical resources for engagement professionals working across the health sector, visit the new and improved Health Hub.