The Federal Government is launching an independent review of GP practice accreditation, saying it wants to cut red tape and encourage smaller practices to participate.

The audit will consider ways to “reduce duplication and overlap” in the scheme, which some practice owners say is becoming increasingly expensive and complex to navigate.

Around 6200 practices — 83% of the total — are accredited and can therefore access Practice Incentives Program funding worth $400 million annually.

But with each practice assessed against RACGP standards every three years, critics have suggested some practices are spending up to $20,000 preparing for the inspection.