Accreditation under the NGPA Scheme

The flow chart provides an overview of the steps involved in the assessment and reporting process.

General practices should commence coordination of assessment processes 12 to 18 months from the accreditation expiry date. The on-site assessment should be undertaken at least four months and no more than eight months prior to the practice’s accreditation expiry date.

If a general practice seeks to undertake an assessment earlier than eight months prior to the accreditation expiry date, approval must be obtained from the Commission before the assessment commences.

Initial assessments must be conducted on-site. In limited circumstances, the Commission may grant approval for assessments to be conducted via a hybrid assessment.

A hybrid assessment is a model of assessment where part of an accreditation assessment team is on site, and part of an assessment team is present using virtual access digital technology.

Prior approval from the Commission must be sought for hybrid assessments. Accrediting agencies and general practices must follow guidance issued by the Commission in relation to hybrid assessments.

At the time a general practice is assessed against the RACGP Standards for general practices and/or RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing, assessors will assess evidence of compliance to relevant indicators and assign a rating. These are described below.

A general practice is accredited if all relevant actions in the RACGP Standards for general practices and/or RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing are rated as ‘met’ at final assessment. Accreditation is awarded for three years.

For general practices who are completing the ‘business as usual’ three-year accreditation cycle, the new accreditation expiry date is three years from the original accreditation expiry date or where applicable, the revised accreditation expiry date issued by the Commission if an extension request is granted.

If accreditation was finalised after the accreditation expiry date, the date of commencement of the new accreditation cycle is the date the accrediting agency formally notifies the general practice the determination of accreditation.

For general practices who were granted 12 months extension to their accreditation expiry date as a result of the suspension in accreditation activities in 2020, the date of commencement of the accreditation period is the date the accrediting agency formally notifies the general practice the determination of accreditation. General practices did not receive an additional 12 months’ accreditation; rather, the benefits of accreditation were extended for that period.

If the requirements of the standards are not met, accreditation is not awarded. General practices may reapply to be accredited with an accrediting agency of their choice.

Services Australia may withhold payments for the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) – Practice Stream if accreditation has expired. If payments are withheld for three consecutive payment quarters, incentive payments will be forfeited and the practice may be withdrawn from the program(s).

The practice can reapply for PIP and WIP – Practice Stream if it later achieves accreditation, and payments will start from the payment quarter following the date the practice has met all eligibility requirements and are approved for the program(s).

For more information about the PIP or WIP – Practice Stream, contact Services Australia on 1800 222 032.

Accrediting agencies are required to provide each general practice with an accreditation assessment report at the conclusion of the assessment process. Accreditation certificates are issued to general practices that have met all the relevant requirements of the standards.

If a general practice does not agree with their assessment outcome, an appeal may be submitted to their accrediting agency or directly to the Commission. It is recommended that general practice exhausts all avenues of review or appeal with their accrediting agency before submitting an appeal to the Commission.

The Commission will only consider appeals where there is evidence that the relevant accrediting agency did not comply with Commission specified policies, processes and/or directions relating to the assessment conducted.

An appeal, whether made to the accrediting agency or directly to the Commission, must be submitted within 20 business days of the general practice receiving its final assessment report from its accrediting agency. Where an appeal is made to the Commission following an appeal to its accrediting agency, it must be made within 20 business days of the accrediting agency ruling on its appeal.

All appeals are to be in writing and submitted via the general practice accreditation request for approval application form. Supporting evidence and documentation must accompany the appeal.

On receipt of an appeal, the Commission will seek information from the relevant accrediting agency, and review the evidence provided by the appellant and accrediting agency. The Commission will then establish a panel to review the appeal and make recommendations to the Commission’s Chief Operating Officer.

The Commission may act in one or more of the following ways:

• Find any or all matters reviewed not substantiated
• Find any or all matters reviewed substantiated and make recommendations to the accrediting agency for action
• Find any or all matters reviewed substantiated and take further action
• Find any or all of the matters reviewed substantiated but determine further action is not warranted under the specified circumstances.

Within 10 business days of the panel being convened the Commission will notify in writing the general practice and the accrediting agency:

• The outcome of the appeal
• Any action to be taken, together with the date of effect of that action.

Once the Commission has issued a determination, there is no further avenue of appeal within the Commission.

Accrediting agencies and general practices are required to adhere to the requirements stipulated in Advisory GP18/04: Notification of significant risk.

Accrediting agencies and general practices are required to adhere to the requirements stipulated in Advisory GP18/01: Extensions to accreditation. For more information on how to apply for an extension request, see the request for approval page.

Accrediting agencies and general practices are required to adhere to the requirements stipulated in Advisory GP18/02: Transferring accreditation between accrediting agencies.

Accrediting agencies and general practices are required to adhere to the requirements stipulated in Advisory GP18/03: Physical relocation of a general practice to other premises.