Top 5 areas of RACGP accreditation non-compliance – and how to meet them

Achieving RACGP accreditation is often an overwhelming task for practices – not only to organise all the documentation required, but also to navigate the complex requirements of the RACGP Standards. 

This complexity often results in certain requirements being overlooked. In this article, we highlight the top five areas of RACGP non-compliance identified in a survey of 3,000 practices by the accreditation body AGPAL. 

We also explore how a digital platform like PracticeHub can help simplify the RACGP accreditation process and could support you in addressing these common non-compliance areas. 

Criterion QI2.2 E states: 

“Our clinical team ensures that medicines, samples and medical consumables are acquired, stored, administered, supplied and disposed of in accordance with manufacturers’ directions and relevant laws.” 

According to the aforementioned AGPAL survey, some of the top reasons practices don’t meet this criterion include: 

• Expired medical consumables; 
• Incorrect storage of S4 and S8 medications; and 
• Inaccurate labelling or patient details missing for S8 records. 

Thorough stock rotation and comprehensive documentation of your processes is critical given the high risk of patient harm that could stem from the above identified issues. 

How PracticeHub can help:

PracticeHub could make it easier for your team to access and organise all your medication safety policies and procedures in one digital hub.  

The platform can save you from having to write these policies and procedures from scratch as it contains customisable templates that align with the RACGP Standards. 

The platform also allows you to link directly to your state’s legislation on medicines management to help ensure your processes are always up-to-date and compliant. 

The platform also has processes to allow you to easily share policies and procedures with your team as well as a central dashboard and instant alerts to assist tracking your compliance. 

Criterion C3.1 C states: 

“Our practice has a business risk management system that identifies, monitors, and mitigates risks in the practice.”  

Medical practices are required to maintain a documented risk management process and to also develop processes to mitigate risks. 

While clinical risk management is crucial, it’s equally important to also address the business risks when operating a practice. Business risks include compliance (such as with the ATO, Medicare, Ahpra, and payroll), security, finances, reputation and operations. 

Using a risk matrix is an effective way to assess and prioritise these risks. A matrix can allow you to categorise risks from low to high so you can focus on high-priority areas (you can see an example here from the RACGP).  

How PracticeHub can help: 

The Quality Registers feature in PracticeHub attempts to streamline risk management processes by consolidating the tracking for risks, incidents and feedback into one centralised platform. 

Team members can record incident details through a digital “ticket” directly in the platform or via a QR code on their mobile devices. 

The centralised dashboard provides a mechanism to more easily view incident details, assign tasks and to monitor progress. The platform also provides some automatic alerts to assist you with timely follow-up. 

Criterion C8.1 B states: 

“Our non-clinical staff complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training at least once every three years.” 

CPR training must be conducted by an accredited training organisation or a clinical team member with a current instructor certificate. The training must include a physical demonstration – online only training is not sufficient. 

How PracticeHub can help: 

PracticeHub can assist you managing training requirements as it can create training registers, store documentation and set reminders for required training. 

The platform also offers eight e-learning modules that can assist with key areas of RACGP compliance, including courses on infection control, privacy and confidentiality, and work health and safety.

Criterion GP3.1 A requires that all clinical staff to hold current Ahpra registration, have accreditation/certification with any relevant profession association, participate in continuing professional development (CPD), and complete CPR training at least once every three years. 

Detailed and up-to-date record keeping is an essential component when managing this requirement. Even if your team is Ahpra registered and are actively participating in CPD sessions, evidence supporting this is required for RACGP accreditation.  

How PracticeHub can help: 

PracticeHub has daily notifications for all your clinicians’ Ahpra registration status, which reduces the need for you to perform individual manual checks for your employees. 

The platform also contains functions to record CPR and CPD training completed by your team members, which can be easily retrieved ahead of your accreditation assessment. 

Criterion C3.5 B states: 

“Our practice team is encouraged to obtain immunisations recommended by the current edition of the Australian immunisation handbook based on their duties and immunisation status.” 

Your staff should be encouraged to obtain the recommended immunisations in the Australian immunisation handbook; the criterion does not make this a requirement. 

Meeting this criterion requires having documentary evidence that your staff are up to date with immunisations recommended in the Australian immunisation handbook. Evidence of all staff immunisations should be adequately documented.  

How PracticeHub can help: 

PracticeHub provides a mechanism to assist you to securely store staff immunisation records, including signed consent or refusal forms, which can help you ensure your compliance with both work health and safety requirements and RACGP accreditation standards. 

Download our guide to discover practical tips for navigating the complexities of RACGP accreditation. 

You’ll learn: 

• 10 key focus areas for compliance success; 
• Actionable tips to meet key Standards and suggestions for quality improvements; and 
• How PracticeHub can help simplify compliance for your team.