CSCF public hospitals

The Patient Safety Health Service Directive states Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) must comply with and report to the Department in accordance with the Guideline for Clinical Services Capability Framework.

HHSs are obligated to self-assess and report about their clinical services under the Clinical Services Capability Framework (CSCF) and advise the Department about temporary and permanent changes:

• All hospitals/relevant facilities must undertake a baseline self-assessment against the current CSCF.
• HHSs must notify the Department through the established public hospital CSCF notification process of:
  • permanent CSCF levels for new health services prior to the services commencing
  • permanent CSCF level changes for existing services
• When a CSCF module is introduced or updated a self-assessment is undertaken against the new module and submitted to the Department.
• HHSs are accountable for attesting to the accuracy of the information contained in their CSCF self-assessment submitted to the Department.
• HHSs should undertake and complete a whole of HHS permanent CSCF self-assessment within 5 years of the date of the last self-assessment and submit changes to the Department. The date each HHS last self-assessed is available on the Department’s publicly available.

The Department and a HHS may terminate, temporarily suspend or change the level of a health service identified within the CSCF by mutual agreement. The proposed termination, suspension or change must be made in writing:

• a suspension may result from, but is not exclusively due to, limitations in workforce capacity or issues regarding the safety or quality of the services provided.
• a termination means the permanent cessation of a health service by a HHS
• a temporary suspension means the service is either reduced or ceases for a period of three months or less.

HHSs must notify the Department of a change to the CSCF if the change will be equal to or longer than 24 hours. Where possible, the Department should be notified of the change prior to the change occurring.

The Department of Health recommends at a minimum HHSs undertake a whole of HHS permanent CSCF level self-assessment every five years.

Fact sheets about the CSCF are available.

CSCF self-assessment forms for permanent CSCF level changes

The following two forms are used for undertaking whole of HHS permanent CSCF level self-assessments, for self-assessing new facilities, when assessing against a new CSCF module and for individual facilities self-assessing/updating their CSCF levels.

• Proposed permanent CSCF level change notification form (for use by individual facilities) (DOCX 562 kB)
• Proposed permanent CSCF level change notification form summary sheet (for use by HHS officers) (DOCX 73 kB)

CSCF modules

The CSCF modules must be considered when completing the proposed permanent change forms. The CSCF modules contain an overview of each CSCF relevant health service and identify the workforce requirements and service networks. There are generally 6 service levels a hospital can have for each service it has the capability to provide.

The established public hospital notification process (PDF 220 kB). provides details about how to notify the Department. The notification process template for temporary changes to CSCF levels is linked below.

Temporary CSCF level changes

• Temporary CSCF level change notification form (DOCX 71 kB)

A temporary CSCF level change is a temporary change that occurs for 24 hours or longer.

This form has a limited change period of 3 months. When the change is longer than 3 months (but not permanent), please complete and submit this form every three months prior to the initial 3-month period ending.

A guide to engagement and consultation on clinical service review is available to assist HHSs in the review, assessment and planning of clinical services.