About the event

Come along to hear more about the new National Model for Clinical Governance and gain the knowledge you need to provide informed feedback during the upcoming public consultation on the next NSQHS Standards.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) has released a new National Model for Clinical Governance that aims to drive high-quality care and better outcomes for patients in Australian hospitals.

Recognising that nurses are at the heart of effective clinical governance, the national model acknowledges their dual roles as clinicians providing care to patients and as stewards of system improvement. When done well, clinical governance builds trust across a health service, with patients experiencing care that better meets their needs and the workforce having confidence that their organisation supports them with the right culture, structures, leadership and resources to provide consistently high-quality care.

Effective clinical governance creates a shared focus across a health service, bringing together boards, executives, clinical leaders and the workforce to deliver the best possible care for every patient, every day. 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.

In this webinar, you will hear from the Commission's Gillian Giles about how the national model was developed with input from across the health system, and how it represents a significant change in how health services should lead and embed clinical governance systems to enable high-quality care. She will discuss how effective clinical governance builds trust across a health service by creating the culture, structures, support and leadership that empower the workforce to do their jobs well.

Clinical governance expert Cathy Balding will explain what the changes mean for nurses at the point of care, and the practical steps health services can take to create to implement the model as an enabler of high-quality care.

The Commission’s Chief Nursing Officer, Anna Thornton, will discuss how the national model is shaping the next edition of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

The session will include an overview of the draft Standards, currently open for public consultation until September 2026, and highlight the opportunities for nurses to contribute to their development.

Key Learning Objectives

• Describe the thinking behind the Commission's new National Model for Clinical Governance and how it represents a significant change in how health services should implement clinical governance systems to enable high-quality care
• Explain what is different in the national model and what it will mean for the health workforce Recognise the critical role of nurses in shaping organisational culture and improving patient experience and outcomes, and outline how the national model can be used to support and empower nurses
• Demonstrate the link between the national model and the third edition of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

Gillian Giles - Executive Director Clinical Governance, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Gillian Giles is Executive Director, Clinical Governance at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, where she established a program of work to provide national leadership of clinical governance, including the development of the National Model for Clinical Governance. Previously, Gillian held the role of Director Healthcare Variation at the Commission, leading the development of the Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation series and a program focused on system change to improve the appropriateness of health care. With a clinical background as a speech pathologist, Gillian has worked across both state and Commonwealth health departments and is experienced in policy development, service planning and translating evidence into practical, system-wide improvement.

Adjunct Professor Anna Thornton MACN - Chief Nursing Officer, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Adjunct Professor Anna Thornton leads the Communicating for Safety and Comprehensive Care Programs for the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care, providing expert clinical advice and a voice for nursing experience and professional practice. Professor Thornton was appointed to the new position of Chief Nursing Officer in April 2024. Prior to this appointment, she was Executive Director of Nursing at St Vincent’s Hospital Network and has held Director of Nursing positions at Liverpool Hospital, Canberra Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital. During her career, Professor Thornton has led strategy in acute care nursing, patient safety and quality, workforce planning and nursing-led research. She has also advised on policy matters through numerous Chair and co-Chair appointments to key nursing and acute care committees. In November 2023, Professor Thornton received the prestigious Judith Meppem Lifetime Achievement Award at the 11th annual NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards. This award recognises the contribution of an outstanding nurse or midwife who, throughout their career, has had a positive and sustained influence on patients, the health system and their profession.

Dr Cathy Balding - Director, Qualityworks

Cathy works with boards, executives and leaders, specialising in ‘clinical governance systems with purpose’. Cathy’s career spans quality and health service manager, accreditation assessor and quality policymaker.  She was also the inaugural manager of the ACHS clinical indicator program and the Victorian Quality Council.  Cathy has spent the last 20 years as Director of Qualityworks, focused on developing clinical governance systems that support great point of care experiences for consumers and staff. She conducts research into clinical governance effectiveness and is the author of many journal articles, online courses and three books on this topic. Most recently Cathy worked with the ACSQHC to develop the Implementation Guide for the National Model for Clinical Governance (2026.) Cathy is Adjunct Professor at James Cook University and a Board Director with RSL LifeCare NSW. She also co-hosts the No Harm Done podcast and QualityClub, an online coaching program for quality managers