Clinical Service Improvement Program

Are you a junior doctor, nurse, midwife, dental practitioner or allied health professional looking to develop your leadership and service improvement skills? Have you ever wanted to lead a project at your hospital but haven't had the time or knowledge of how or where to start?

Previously known as the Medical Service Improvement Program, this program is open to nursing, midwifery, allied health, dental and medical (residents and some registrars) across many metro and regional sites.

As part of WA Health’s commitment to clinical leadership, the Institute for Health Leadership is offering this opportunity for junior clinicians to undertake a service improvement project, enabling them to acquire skills and experience in leadership and change management.

What is involved?

On a 10-13 week (full time or part time equivalent), non-clinical rotation participants will focus exclusively on completing a clinical service improvement project. Projects can be related to a wide range of topics relating to clinical care delivery, patient flow or clinical staff duties.

For example, previous projects have focussed on various areas including:

  • efficiencies in elective and emergency surgery
  • discharge planning and communication
  • outpatient clinic waiting times
  • improving communication between clinical staff.

Your project will have an ongoing, positive impact on patient care and/or clinical workflow.

Successful applicants will learn transferrable skills in the use of service improvement methodologies and tools. They will also have access to ongoing professional/leadership development workshops throughout the course of the year.

Program structure

All participants regardless of discipline will complete their project at full or part time during RMO term dates listed below:

  • Term 1: 18 January – 28March 2027
  • Term 1 CAHS: 11 January – 18 April 2027
  • Term 2: 29 March – 13 June 2027
  • Term 2 CAHS: 19 April – 18 July 2027
  • Term 3: 14 June – 22 August 2027
  • Term 3 CAHS: 19 July – 17 October 2027
  • Term 4: 23 August – 31 October 2027
  • Term A: 19 April – 1t October 2027 (Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health and Dental Practitioners only) 

CAHS have different term dates (as per the Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia term dates (external site)) and Term A will run part time over a 27 week period.

Training in the use of service improvement methodologies and tools will be provided, in addition to ongoing professional development workshops throughout the course of the year.

For more information about the program structure email DOH.ClinicalLeadership@health.wa.gov.au

Who is eligible for the program?

Eligibility criteria:

  1. 12 months minimum post-graduate clinical experience in the public health system as a nurse*, midwife*, resident medical officer (RMO PGY2+), registrar, allied health professional or dental practitioner by commencement of program.  
  2. *Nursing and midwifery: required to either be working as a Registered Nurse Level 1 or Clinical Nurse Level 2. SRNs may only apply if written documentation is provided with their application indicating support from their site to participate.  
  3. Contracted to work clinically at a participating hospital site, clinic or health service in 2025 as a nurse, midwife, RMO, Registrar, dental practitioner or allied health professional at a minimum of 0.4 FTE (see list of participating sites in the section below).  
  4. Current professional registration to practice in your clinical field.  
Participating sites by clinical profession

In 2027, rotations will be undertaken at the following hospitals, clinics and services.

Medical Nursing
  • Armadale Kalamunda Group
  • Broome Health Campus
  • Bunbury Regional Hospital
  • Child and Adolescent Health Service
  • Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group
  • Geraldton Regional Hospital
  • Kalgoorlie Health Campus
  • King Edward Memorial Hospital
  • Rockingham General Hospital
  • Royal Perth Bentley Group
  • Peel Health Campus
  • Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospital Care Group
  • NMHS Community Adult Mental Health 
  • Armadale Kalamunda Group
  • King Edward Memorial Hospital
  • Rockingham General Hospital
  • Royal Perth Bentley Group
  • Peel Health Campus
  • Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospital Care Group
  • NMHS SFMHS Admitted
  • NMHS Community Adult Mental Health
Allied health Dental
  • Armadale Kalamunda Group
  • Child and Adolescent Health Service
  • Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group
  • Rockingham General Hospital
  • King Edward Memorial Hospital
  • Royal Perth Bentley Group
  • NMHS SFMHS Admitted
  • NMHS Community Adult Mental Health 
  • Dental Health Services
How to apply

Applications for 2027 will open on 12 August 2026.

Applicants will need to complete an application pack (including responses to application questions) and provide an up-to-date CV via MedCareers.

The link will be posted here once applications are open.

More information

To sign up for our 2027 information session on Tuesday 4 August 2026, please complete this Microsoft Form.

For more information about the Clinical Service Improvement Program, email the Institute for Health Leadership.

Last reviewed: 08-07-2025
Produced by

Institute of Health Leadership