Which cosmetic surgery standards does your clinic need to meet?
Clinics that perform cosmetic surgery meet the National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards (2023), or add the 20-action Cosmetic Surgery Module to NSQHS accreditation, as their state requires. In Queensland, the NSQHS Standards and the Cosmetic Surgery Standards are both prescribed from 1 October 2026.
What the standards cover
The Commission developed the Cosmetic Surgery Standards at the request of Australian Health Ministers, as part of reforms to the cosmetic surgery sector that began in September 2022.1 They were released on 14 December 2023.2
They apply where cosmetic surgery is performed, meaning invasive surgical procedures to change the appearance, colour, texture, structure or position of normal bodily features. They do not cover non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as cosmetic injectables.1
| Standard | In the Commission's words |
|---|---|
| Clinical Governance | The relationships and responsibilities a service sets up to measure and ensure good clinical outcomes |
| Partnering with Consumers | Patients fully informed of the risks and costs of services, in a way they can understand |
| Preventing and Controlling Infections | Preventing and managing infection, and antimicrobial stewardship |
| Medication Safety | Clinicians competent to prescribe, dispense, administer and monitor medicines safely |
| Comprehensive Care | Screening, assessment and risk identification for an individualised care plan |
| Communicating for Safety | Effective communication between patients, carers, families and clinicians |
| Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration | Responding when a patient's physical, mental or cognitive condition deteriorates |
Standards or module
A service that performs cosmetic surgery may have to meet both the NSQHS Standards and the Cosmetic Surgery Standards. The Cosmetic Surgery Module is a subset of 20 cosmetic surgery actions that lets a service meet both in a single assessment, and is only for services that already implement the NSQHS Standards.13 State and territory health regulators decide which standards a service must meet.1
Services accredited to the Cosmetic Surgery Standards are assessed on site, and mandatory reassessment within six months can apply depending on how many actions are rated Not met or Met with recommendations at initial assessment.4
Queensland, from 1 October 2026
The Private Health Facilities Amendment Regulation 2026 commenced on 1 October 2026, with one section from 1 January 2027. It prescribes the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards Second edition 2021 for all health services under the regulation, and the National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards (2023) for cosmetic surgery.5
- Confirm what your state requires. Ask your state health department which standards apply to your licence, the Cosmetic Surgery Standards, the NSQHS Standards, or both.
- Choose the route. If you are already accredited to the NSQHS Standards, the Cosmetic Surgery Module adds 20 actions to the same assessment.
- Make costs plain. Write every fee down before the patient commits, including what follow-up and revision will cost.
- Record consent properly. Capture the risks discussed, the questions asked and the patient's decision, in the note, before the procedure.
- Plan the follow-up. Name who contacts the patient after surgery, when, and how a worried patient reaches a clinician.
- Run the monitoring tool. Use the Commission's monitoring tool to track each action, and close gaps before booking the assessment.
- Procedure ______ Surgeon ______ Date ______
- Total cost quoted ______ Shown to the patient on ______
- Risks discussed ______
- Patient's questions and answers ______
- Cooling-off or decision time given ______
- Follow-up contact on ______ by ______
The guide to clinic AI in Brisbane covers Queensland's private health facilities, and the guide to the NSQHS Standards for day procedure services covers the assessment itself.
Questions
Do the Cosmetic Surgery Standards cover injectables?
No. They apply where cosmetic surgery is performed, and do not include non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as cosmetic injectables.
What is the Cosmetic Surgery Module?
20 actions from the Cosmetic Surgery Standards, for services already implementing the NSQHS Standards, so both can be met in one assessment.
Who decides which standards my clinic must meet?
Your state or territory health regulator. In Queensland, the 2026 amendment regulation prescribes the Cosmetic Surgery Standards for cosmetic surgery from 1 October 2026.
Sources
- 1Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2026National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery StandardsRead source
- 2Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2023National Safety and Quality Cosmetic Surgery Standards (2023)Read source
- 3Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2024Cosmetic Surgery ModuleRead source
- 4Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2026Accreditation to National Safety and Quality StandardsRead source
- 5Queensland Government, 2026Private Health Facilities Amendment Regulation 2026 (SL 2026 No. 137)Read source
Written by the wai team from Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and the RACGP guidance, checked on 15 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Neither ACSQHC nor the RACGP endorses wai or any software.