The National General Practice Accreditation Scheme

In 2020, accredited general practices had 12 months added to their current accreditation expiry date. This means whatever month and year your current accreditation was due to expire, it now expires in that month, one year later.

Your accrediting agency will have advised you of your revised accreditation date.  Only in exceptional circumstances will an additional extension of your accreditation date be granted.

On-site assessments in general practices where COVID-19 doesn’t impose a significant risk are being conducted. Assessments may also be conducted via a hybrid or virtual assessment mode or be delayed in general practices where it is not safe or feasible to conduct an on-site assessment such as when there are:

• Diverted resourcing to support COVID-19 related activities
• A high proportion of furloughed members of the workforce
• Assessors in isolation
• Travel restrictions as a result of public health orders
• Ban of non-essential visitors at facilities, in line with public health orders.

Your accrediting agencies will work with you to confirm the organisation’s risk status and schedule the next assessment.

When scheduling assessments, the Commission has asked accrediting agencies to prioritise general practices that:

• Were previously scheduled for on-site assessments and have not yet been assessed
• Were granted an extension to the accreditation status with special conditions
• Have been registered for the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) for more than 12 months.

Accreditation assessments should be scheduled at least four months before the revised accreditation expiry date. Contact your accrediting agency regarding your individual assessment dates.

On-site assessments are occurring where the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is being well managed. On-site assessments can generally proceed in general practices where:

• Patients with active COVID-19 are not being treated, except by telehealth consultation
• The general practice does not have (or does not suspect they have) a member of the workforce with COVID-19 which could have been transmitted to others in the general practice
• The general practice workforce is fully vaccinated
• There is limited impact on the normal workforce being available for duty. Members of the workforce are not:
  • In isolation due to possible or confirmed COVID-19 contact
  • Redeployed to support COVID-19 related activities
• The general practice is not directly affected by:
  • A public order that has resulted in a lockdown or restriction of movement of citizens
  • Known active COVID-19 infections in the area.

General practices that have a scheduled on-site assessment that cannot proceed because of the risk of transmission of COVID-19, may seek approval for virtual or hybrid assessment modes or a maintenance of their accreditation expiry date.

General practices that can demonstrate they meet all of the requirements of the RACGP Standards for general practices via a desktop assessment can continue with the assessment process.

General practices will not be disadvantaged because of COVID-19. If the risk level of a general practice changes and an on-site assessment is required, the remediation period will be maintained until the risk has reduced and an onsite assessment can proceed. The Commission works with, accrediting agencies and general practices to identify and manage instances where a review of the remediation period may be required.

The Commission has worked with accrediting agencies to ensure on-site assessments are as safe as possible for patients, the workforce and assessors. Before entering a general practice, assessors must have:

• Completed additional infection prevention and control training
• Passed a screening checklist to ensure they have no signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection.

Assessors are also required to comply with any screening requirements put in place by the general practices they are visiting.

General practices that are currently registered for accreditation that have been  approved for the PIP or WIP – Practice Stream for more than 12 months, are to have their on-site assessment as soon as practicable.

General practices impacted by COVID-19 may apply for an extension to the 12-month period in which they are required to achieve accreditation from the date of approval in the programs, until it is safe and/or feasible for an on-site assessment to be conducted. Requests for these extensions are to be made to Services Australia.

Payments will be withheld if accreditation is not achieved within 12 months from the approval date for the programs or maintained thereafter.

Contact your contracted accrediting agency and Services Australia for more information.

Yes. The requirement for general practices to achieve accreditation within 12 months being approved for the PIP or WIP – Practice Stream is unchanged for practices that wish to submit a new application for the PIP or WIP – Practice Stream.

All accredited general practices have had an additional 12 months added to their current accreditation expiration date. Amended certificates have not been reissued by accrediting agencies, however general practices seeking formal notification can request a statement of revised accreditation details from their accrediting agency.