News and Media Releases
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Empowering Aboriginal leadership in patient safety
29 January 2026
The CEC is relaunching its Ian O’Rourke Scholarship to support Aboriginal health professionals to strengthen culturally safe care across NSW.
World Patient Safety Day: Putting babies and children at the centre of safe care
17 September 2025
The CEC is shining a spotlight on safe care for babies and children this World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2025.
Celebrating NAIDOC Week - Culture at the heart of care
5 July 2025
CEC are celebrating NAIDOC Week.
Kate Clezy wins at the 2025 SDPR Awards
20 June 2025
The 2025 Single Digital Patient Record Award winners have been announced! Congratulations Kate Clezy!
People Partner – Zoe Fernance
19 May 2025
Around fifteen years ago, a series of family health issues led Zoe Fernance to leave her career behind and become an advocate for her family when accessing healthcare.
New paramedic pathway eases ED crowding on the Central Coast
18 November 2024
A new pathway by NSW Ambulance and CCLHD could ease Emergency department pressure by treating more patients at home.
World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 18 – 24 November 2024
18 November 2024
World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week is a global campaign highlighting the critical importance of judiciously using antimicrobials.
CEC wins at 2024 NSW Health Awards
25 October 2024
The NSW Medicines Formulary has won the Patient safety first category at the 2024 NSW Health Awards.
2024 International Infection Prevention Week
15 October 2024
To mark the 2024 IPC Week, the CEC has developed a video with five Infection Control Practitioners (ICP) from across NSW Health to discover why they chose a career in IPC.
NSW Medicines Formulary a finalist in the 2024 NSW Premier's Awards
25 September 2024
The NSW Medicines Formulary has been nominated as a finalist in the 2024 NSW Premier's Awards.
NSW Medicines Formulary a finalist in the 2024 NSW Health Awards
20 September 2024
The NSW Medicines Formulary has been nominated as a finalist in the 2024 NSW Health Awards.
Preventing harm from diagnostic error
17 September 2024
To mark World Patient Safety Day on 17 September, the CEC is launching a podcast series this week.
Joining the #SepsisChallenge on World Sepsis Day
13 September 2024
Today is World Sepsis Day - we are joing people across Australia and taking the #SepsisChallenge.
'Could it be sepsis?' Listen, Look, Act to recognise sepsis or rule it out
3 September 2024
September 13 is World Sepsis Day, and a national campaign is raising awareness of sepsis in the community.
CEC Strategic Plan 2024-2027
21 August 2024
The purpose of the NSW public health system is to provide safe, high-quality, accessible, person-centred care.
New resources to support safe care for older people
29 July 2024
A series of videos highlighting the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) Comprehensive Care- Minimising Harm (CC-MH) model has been developed to support frontline staff in providing safe care for older people.
Updating the evidence and sharing the successes – Fall Prevention in NSW
28 June 2024
Earlier this month experts from overseas, Australia and NSW Health Services shared successful fall prevention initiatives
QARS turns 10!
05 June 2024
The CEC’s Quality Audit Reporting System (QARS) celebrates an important milestone this month.
Sharing the fruits of the CEC Academy’s Applied Safety and Quality program
30 May 2024
The CEC Academy hosted its inaugural Applied Safety and Quality Program statewide graduate showcase this month.
Supporting fall prevention in regional areas
26 April 2024
As part of April Falls Month, the NSW Fall Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network Western NSW LHD Rural Forum, held on 12 April in Orange, provided valuable updates to care staff on the latest in fall prevention and healthy ageing.
‘Could it be sepsis?’ – updated pathways to help recognise and respond to sepsis
5 March 2024
On 12 February the Clinical Excellence Commission launched updated sepsis pathways; to help nurses, midwives and doctors answer the important question ‘could it be sepsis?’.
High Risk Medicine standards have a new home on the CEC website
4 March 2024
Previously included in the NSW Health Policy Directive High-Risk Medicines Management, the standards have been separated and moved to the CEC website for ease of access.
Turning profound loss into greater good
19 February 2024
The loss of her son, Xavier, spurred first-time mum, Ann-Maree Imrie, to speak openly to the CEC about her experience and advocate for stillbirth awareness and prevention.
Every week counts for a healthier start to life
16 February 2024
On 20 February, the Clinical Excellence Commission will co-host Every Week Counts, a conference on preterm birth, early birth and stillbirth prevention.
Prof Jacqueline Close awarded a Member of the Order of Australia
2 February 2024
The Clinical Excellence Commission's Board Member Prof Jacqueline Close has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
Medical device reforms: what will it mean for clinicians?
15 December 2023
The Clinical Excellence Commission is working with NSW Health agencies to ensure medical device reforms introduced nationally are embedded into local safety and quality processes.
CEC Falls White Paper attracts attention at international conference on fall prevention in Perth
8 December 2023
Fall Prevention in NSW White Paper 2023, the new seminal work on fall prevention in NSW from the CEC, received much attention and interest in Perth last week
Putting your finger on safety culture issues in the workplace: The evidence-based, structured approach
5 December 2023
Activities that support a safety culture have been shown to improve staff self-compassion and personal wellbeing.
CEC releases Fall Prevention in NSW White Paper 2023
20 November 2023
The CEC has released the Fall Prevention in NSW White Paper 2023 outlining the staggering cost and impact of falls to older people in NSW and healthcare.
Tighter measures for medical device safety
16 November 2023
The CEC is helping healthcare professionals in NSW navigate a set of national reforms to make medical devices safer.
The upward spiral – the benefits of kindness and safety culture
14 November 2023
The Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) helps teams across NSW Health on journeys of safety culture improvement.
Is there a problem that needs fixing? CEC masterclass on using data for improvement
7 November 2023
On October 26 Senior Improvement Advisor at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Lloyd Provost led a CEC masterclass, “Variation and Data for Improvement”.
People partners and Clinical Excellence Commission connecting to improve healthcare safety
27 October 2023
On October 19 the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) ‘People Partners’ healthcare consumer representatives met with the CEC to share their experience and to connect.
Fetal Safety Masterclass – Maternity teams working together for safe, woman-centred care
23 October 2023
The Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) held the inaugural ‘Fetal Safety Masterclass’, bringing together obstetricians and midwives from across NSW Health maternity services.
Life Saving Drugs Register Goes Online
18 October 2023
Today the Life Saving Drugs Register has gone online to provide vital stock information of life saving drugs, including 31 antidotes and 10 antivenoms, stored across NSW Health facilities in near real-time.
The relentless pursuit of preventing infection
16 October 2023
The Clinical Excellence Commission's Kathy Dempsey knows all too well that infection prevention and control should never drop off a health professional's radar.
The role of patients in navigating future healthcare
17 September 2023
When patients have a voice in their own care, not only do they leverage better health outcomes for themselves, but they bring benefits to the healthcare system as a whole.
Safety program leads to fewer patient falls in Southern NSW
23 August 2023
In collaboration with the Clinical Excellence Commission, the Southern NSW Local Health District, Safe Care Project has reduced the number of serious falls by 33% in the participating seven hospital wards.
Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) webinar - Wednesday 28 June
26 June 2023
The NSW Health Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) Expert Advisory Group (EAG) was established at the request of the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC).
King's Birthday Honours for Board Chair and Colleagues
16 June 2023
Clinical Excellence Commission Board Chair Prof Andrew Wilson has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours 2023.
First Applied Safety and Quality Program Graduates
9 June 2023
Eight new graduates from Hunter New England Local Health District are the first in the state to complete all programs of the statewide Safety & Quality Essentials Pathway.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Work with Falls
8 June 2023
Lorraine Lovitt has been awarded the NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network Lifetime Achievement Award.
Restorative Just Culture Learning Symposium
2 June 2023
Health leaders from across NSW joined our Restorative Just Learning Culture Symposium in May 2023 to help strengthen safety culture and leadership as part of the statewide Zero Suicide in Care initiative.
Career midwife appointed to local health district board
18 April 2023
Clinical Excellence Commission Improvement Lead Dr Cathy Adams has recently been appointed to the Board of the Northern NSW Local Health District.
Reflective Practice Workshops
28 September 2022
The Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) is inviting patient safety practitioners across the NSW Health system to register for a limited time reflective practice skills workshop designed specifically for their needs.
Improving safety and reducing error in maternal health
24 August 2022
262 babies are born each day in NSW and many of these births are associated with increasing numbers of known maternal complexities.
Improvement, leadership and compassion central themes at quality and safety conference
28 July 2022
The BMJ International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare launched on Sunday July 24, 2022, in Sydney after a 2-year pandemic hiatus.
Beard wrapping can improve safety for health staff unable to shave
16 June 2022
The CEC's Infection Prevention and Control team played a key role in research and guidance development to improve the safe use of P2/N95 respirators among health workers in the Sikh community.
New toolkit supports zero suicides in care goal
3 June 2022
The Suicide Prevention Quality Improvement Toolkit is part of the Zero Suicides in Care program and aims to reduce suicide in people who are cared for in mental health services in NSW.
Professor Michael Nicholl appointed CE
31 May 2022
Professor Michael Nicholl has been appointed the Chief Executive of the Clinical Excellence Commission.
Embedding patient experience into healthcare
27 April 2022
Ensuring the patient perspective is embedded into how we care for patients across NSW is a core function of the Clinical Excellence Commission's Partnering with People Panel.
Vigilance on hand hygiene rewarded
5 May 2021
Hand hygiene now has rock star status in our COVID-19 world but it has long been fundamental in keeping patients safe from infection in healthcare settings. Like all good practices, maintaining standards relies on constant effort.
NSW Joins National Push to Reduce Stillbirths
18 February 2020
NSW has joined a national push to drive down the number of stillbirths with around six babies stillborn in Australia every day.
Today, the Clinical Excellence Commission is holding workshops with NSW maternity staff at Westmead Hospital to highlight some of the five recommended practices to prevent stillbirth in the NSW Safer Baby Program.
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