Your right to information
The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) creates rights to information that are designed to meet community expectations of more open and transparent government, and encourages government agencies to proactively release government information.
On this page, you can find out how to access information held by the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC).
You can find out about your right to information and ways to access NSW government information on the Information and Privacy Commission website.
Agency information guide
This page is the Agency Information Guide which describes the basic structure and functions of the CEC, the kinds of information it holds, and how you can access it.
About the CEC
Established in 2004 under the Health Services Act 1997, the CEC is a Board-governed statutory health corporation that reports to the NSW Minister for Health and NSW Health Secretary. It is the lead agency for clinical governance and safety assurance.
We work with health services, clinicians, consumers and partners to support safer care for patients across the state, providing the tools, guidance and support needed to build a strong safety culture across NSW Health.
Determination of Functions (PDF 94.3 KB)
Performance Agreement 2026–29 (PDF 456.1 KB)
Information held by the CEC
Our agency publishes a range of information under the GIPA Act. Follow the links below and within our website to find out more about our policies, publication guide, a disclosure log of information applications, and our register of government contracts.
Policy documents
The CEC is subject to and adopts policy directives issued by NSW Health.
Documents tabled in Parliament
The Biannual Incident Report presents reported patient-related incident and consumer feedback data. It is tabled in NSW Parliament and publised on this website as a regulatory requirement.
Register of contracts
Contracts awarded with a value of more than $150,000 are published on the buy NSW Register of Notices. The register provides information about NSW Government contract awards, standing offers, annual procurement plans and public interest certificates.
Disclosure log
Public interest disclosures
The CEC is committed to building a ‘speak up’ culture whereby public officials (persons employed in or by the CEC) are encouraged to report conduct that they reasonably believe involves wrongdoing. We are committed to responding appropriately to all reports of serious wrongdoing.
The NSW Health Public Interest Disclosures Policy Directive (PD2023_026) is the PID Policy for the CEC. The PID Policy sets out how we manage reports of serious wrongdoing, and the support and protection provided to staff when reports of serious wrongdoing are received.
Under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (NSW) (PID Act), serious wrongdoing includes:
- corrupt conduct
- serious maladministration
- a privacy contravention
- a serious and substantial waste of public money
- a government information contravention
Any staff member (including a contractor, sub-contractor, or volunteer) with knowledge of, or who has witnessed serious wrongdoing, should make a confidential report about the wrongdoing. A list of the CEC's Disclosures Officers is available from the NSW Health disclosure officers webpage.
How to access CEC information
To access information from the CEC, first search our website to see if this information is already available. If it is not, please contact the CEC's Right to Information Officer and ask for this information.
We will then decide whether the information you want:
- is open access information that is readily available. If it is, we will tell you where and how you can get this information
- will be made available as part of a proactive release of information
- can be disclosed to you through informal release, for example, where no third-party personal information is involved
- requires a formal access application, for example, because consultation with a third party is required.
Proactive release
You can ask the CEC what information it will make available to the public, in addition to the information contained on its website. Under the GIPA Act, the CEC is encouraged to release as much information as possible, in an appropriate way and free of charge (or at the lowest reasonable cost).
Informal request
You can request specific information from the CEC. The CEC will release information without the need for a formal application, unless there are good reasons to require one.
Formal application for access
This is the last resort if you haven't been able to get the information you need in any other way. You can formally request specific information from the CEC. In limited circumstances, access to information will require a formal access application.
The Access Application Form (PDF 224.7 KB) should be completed to apply for formal access to CEC information under the GIPA Act.
Contact us
For more information, please contact the CEC's Right to Information Officer:
1 Reserve Road
St Leonards NSW 2065
Locked Bag 2030
St Leonards NSW 1590
Phone: +61 2 9296 5500
E-mail: cec-corpgov@health.nsw.gov.au