National standards for virtual care are set to be developed for the first time in Australia, with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care tasked with creating a consistent, system‑wide framework to support safe, high‑quality virtual care.
The standards — expected to be published by the end of 2027 — will outline clear expectations for the delivery of virtual care across hospitals, primary and community healthcare, and commercial providers.
Their development comes as virtual care becomes increasingly embedded in the health system. In 2025 alone, more than 11 million Australians had a telehealth consultation, underscoring the need for nationally consistent safeguards across all settings.
Virtual care refers to any interaction between a patient and clinician/s that occurs remotely using information technologies. It is now an essential mode of healthcare delivery, improving access and flexibility for patients nationwide.
The new standards would ensure virtual care is held to the same expectations as in‑person services, said Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) CEO Conjoint Professor Anne Duggan.
“Virtual care is an established and growing part of our health system, and it is important that the same expectations of safety and quality apply whether care is delivered in-person or virtually.”
The standards will form part of a national approach to strengthening clinical governance — the culture, systems and structures that enable health services to deliver care that is high quality and continually improving. They will build on ACSQHC’s recently released National Model for Clinical Governance and provide contemporary guidance on governing for consistently safe, high‑quality care.
Applying the Commission’s clinical governance framework to virtual care would support a nationally consistent approach, regardless of how or where care is delivered, said Professor Duggan.
The ACSQHC will work with the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Australian Digital Health Agency, clinicians, consumers and industry to ensure the standards reflect best practice and align with national digital health infrastructure.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler endorsed ACSQHC’s work to develop national virtual care standards.
“Australians deserve the same assurance of safety and quality when they receive care through virtual services as when they walk through the door of a hospital or clinic. These standards will ensure quality and safety are built into virtual care from the ground up.”
