Our role

Our functions

BHI is one of NSW Health's pillar organisations. We fulfil our statutory functions with editorial independence from the NSW Government, and with an independent voice in the media. With this platform, BHI engages closely with clinical, consumer, managerial and policy stakeholders to understand and seek to respond to their information needs.

BHI’s statutory functions are to:

1. prepare and publish regular reports on the performance of the NSW public health system, including safety and quality, effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of the system to the health needs of the people of NSW
2. provide an annual report to the Minister and Parliament on the performance of the NSW public health system
3. publish reports benchmarking the performance of the NSW public health system with comparable health systems
4. establish and maintain a website providing information and analysis on the performance of the NSW public health system, including tools for data analysis
5. develop reports and tools to enable analysis of the performance of health services, clinical units and clinical teams across the NSW public health system
6. undertake analysis of data at the request of the Health Secretary to:
   1. support planning and oversight for effective, efficient and safe health services in NSW; and
   2. meet NSW national commitments on Health (including but not limited to commitments arising from the National Health Reform Agreement)
7. advise the NSW Ministry of Health on the quality of existing data sets and the development of enhanced information analysis and reporting to support performance reporting to clinicians, the community and Parliament
8. undertake and/or commission research to support the performance by the Bureau of its functions
9. liaise with other bodies and organisations undertaking reporting on the performance of the health systems in Australia and internationally
10. provide advice to the Minister for Health and the Health Secretary on issues arising out of its functions.

Our latest Strategic Plan 2023–2026 sets out our continued commitment to provide high-quality information for the health system and the public, strengthening accountability and supporting improvement.

Our origins

BHI was established in September 2009 by the NSW Government under the Health Services Act 1997, on the recommendation of the Final Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals by The Hon. Justice Peter Garling RFD.

We began reporting on the performance of the NSW public healthcare system in 2010. Our first reports included Hospital Quarterly (later renamed Healthcare Quarterly) and our annual performance report Healthcare in Focus, both of which we continue to publish.

In 2012, the management of the NSW Patient Survey Program was transferred to BHI from the NSW Ministry of Health.