Not applicable actions
Not all actions within the Primary and Community Healthcare Standards will be applicable to every primary and community healthcare service.
The tables below outline the circumstances where it may not be necessary to implement individual actions of the Primary and Community Healthcare Standards.
Healthcare services implementing the Primary and Community Healthcare Standards should consider their individual circumstances in determining whether actions in the tables below are not applicable. It is not intended that actions be implemented where they are not essential in the delivery of safe and high-quality care for patients or are beyond the scope of clinical practice of healthcare providers.
Large healthcare services, with multiple healthcare providers operating from different locations and delivering different levels of health care, may find that an action is not applicable in an area of service while remaining relevant in other parts of its service. In these cases, the action should be implemented in areas of the service where it is relevant, but not to the particular area of service where the action does not apply.
Clinical Governance Standard
Patient safety and quality systems
| Item | Action | Circumstances where actions are not applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare records | 1.13 | Not applicable when My Health Record system is not in use. |
| 1.14 | Not applicable when My Health Record system is not in use. |
Clinical Safety Standard
Preventing and controlling infection
| Item | Action | Circumstances where actions are not applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Aseptic technique | 3.07 | Not applicable where aseptic technique is not required in the delivery of health care. |
| Invasive medical devices |
3.08 | Not applicable when invasive medical devices are not used in the delivery of health care. |
| Reprocessing of reusable medical devices |
3.13 |
Not applicable when sterile reusable critical medical instruments, equipment and devices are not used in the delivery of health care. For private dental practices – sub action b) relates to batch control [1]. [1] Batch Control Identification (BCI): also referred to as tracking, is the ability to link a patient procedure involving critical items back to the records for a specific steriliser cycle. This is done for a set, package, or cassette of instruments, by transferring batch information from the label into the patient’s record for that appointment. This includes the date of processing, cycle or load number, and if more than one steam steriliser is in use, its identification number. |
| Antimicrobial stewardship |
3.14 | Not applicable when prescribing, supplying and/or administering antimicrobial medicines does not form part of a service’s delivery of health care. |
Medication safety
| Item | Action | Circumstances where actions are not applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation, provision and access to medicines-related information |
3.15 | Not applicable when prescribing, supplying and/or administering medicines does not form part of a service’s delivery of health care. |
| Safe and secure storage and supply of medicines | 3.17 |
Not applicable when prescribing, supplying and/or administering medicines does not form part of a service’s delivery of health care. For private dental practices – sub action b) is not applicable as cold chain management does not form part of the service’s delivery of health care. |
| High-risk medicines | 3.18 | Not applicable when prescribing, supplying and/or administering medicines does not form part of a service’s delivery of health care. |
Comprehensive Care
| Item | Action | Circumstances where actions are not applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive care at the end of life |
3.24 | Not applicable when end-of-life care does not form part of a service’s delivery of health care. |
