‘Idealism gone mad’: GP practices take aim at new RACGP accreditation standards
Almost nine out of 10 GPs have branded some of the RACGP’s new accreditation requirements as ‘ideological rather than practical’, according to a poll carried out last month by CPD provider Healthed.
The criticism was even stronger among practice owners, with 93% agreeing with the sentiment, compared with 87% of GPs overall.
The survey of more than 1000 GPs, including almost 300 practice owners, was conducted last month, shortly after the college released the sixth edition of its standards.
The standards include new requirements covering AI, antimicrobial stewardship and environmental sustainability, with the latter drawing particular criticism from GPs.
One survey respondent commented: “To make [climate change] a requirement for accreditation is idealism gone mad, accreditation should be about medical practice … this is clearly political.”
“Stay in your own lane RACGP and do not press-gang GPs and GP practices into political correctness,” another said.
Another GP said that environmental initiatives were worthwhile “when they are practical and cost-effective, but they should not divert significant resources from patient care”.
The survey also found that the majority of GPs and practice owners felt the accreditation process had become too onerous — 80% and 89% respectively.
And despite the sixth edition of the standards containing 31 fewer mandatory criteria overall, 89% of practice owners said too many of the requirements were “unnecessary and burdensome”.
Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of GPs (67%) said the accreditation process was no longer fair, and 61% said it was now “obstructive” to good practice.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has yet to announce a transition date for the new standards, but 48% of practice owners and 38% of GPs polled said there would be a ‘moderate or substantial’ impact on their practices once in place.
Most respondents were still supportive of accreditation, with 81% of GPs and 73% of practice owners saying that the process was important for maintaining minimum standards in clinics.
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