Representatives & Endorsements
Representatives and Endorsements
Representatives
The RACGP has a long history of providing organisations with representation. By providing representation to external organisations, the RACGP ensures appropriately trained and experienced GPs provide a professional voice to promote, not only General Practice, but also the priorities and overall objectives of the College in health policy, guideline development and health service strategy.
Requesting College Representation
Becoming a College Representative
Feeding back to the College
Submissions and Enquiries
Requesting College Representation
The College is often approached to provide advice or representation on a wide range of external committees, working parties and other initiatives.
If you would like to have a representative from the RACGP as part of your consultation process, please complete the Request for Representation Form and submit to the Representatives and Endorsements Coordinator online or by downloading the form and sending electronically to the contact details below. Please allow a minimum of 6 weeks notice, in this way allowing potential representatives adequate time to plan and make appropriate arrangements. Complete and email the Request for Representation Form (PDF 59KB)
The following information is required for submission:
- Details of the role of the committee and brief description of aims, objectives (including the reason why you think it is important to have College representation)
- The date of the meeting/s or teleconferences
- Where the meetings are held (if applicable)
- Define the request as either a GP representative or a College staff member
- Role expectations eg. College representative, GP nominee, expert
- The expected time commitment required and if work is expected of members outside of meetings
- The honorarium available to the GP for expense incurred:
- Sitting fees (include hourly rate)
- Travel and out of pocket expenses
- Details of expected travel and accommodation requirements and reimbursement
- Whether the committee is time limited or ongoing
- Specific reading or support material for the representative
Failure to meet or provide information may result in an unfavourable outcome.
Email: reps&endorsements@racgp.org.au
Becoming a College Representative
As part of advocacy for its membership, the RACGP encourages the participation of its members in a variety of external committees, working parties and other groups affecting the health of all Australians.
The College is always looking to grow our National Representatives Registry and we are interested in identifying members with special interests as well as those generalists with a broad range of skills in primary health care.
From time to time, members on the National RACGP Representatives Registry will be called upon to provide comment and feedback on various issues as well as invitations to participate in meetings. Representation roles vary in their nature, from high, strategic level to highly content specific focus on one clinical area. As a College representative, members have an opportunity to provide expert advice, represent the view of the College, be the voice of general practice, and meet health professionals with similar interests. Other benefits include:
- Learning skills to represent the College
- Training and education resources/opportunities available to College Representatives
- Peer networking opportunities
- The opportunity to influence local, state and national initiatives
- Acknowledgement and participation in the Representatives workshop held at the RACGP Annual Scientific meeting
Example of Committees with College Representation (140KB)
If you are interested in joining the National College Representatives Registry complete and email the Expressions of Interest Form (PDF 58KB).
The College recognises those GPs with interest and expertise in a specific area of clinical practice. If you would like to find out more about existing College specific interest networks, visit the National Faculty of Specific Interest www.racgp.org.au/nfsi
Feeding back to the College
Representatives currently representing the RACGP are required to brief the College on the meetings attended. This feedback process ensures continual communication and active engagement of representatives to identify current topics relevant to the strategic objectives and focus of the College. It also provides a mechanism for representatives to raise issues, requests or provide suggestions for ongoing improvement. Complete and email the Feedback Form for current RACGP representatives (PDF 52KB)
Submission and enquiries
Representatives and Endorsements Coordinator
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Email: reps&endorsements@racgp.org.au
If you have any queries call: 03 8699 0479
Endorsements
In pursuit of its mission to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians by helping general practitioners with issues that affect their practice and development, the RACGP from time to time endorses products that demonstrate credibility in satisfaction of uniform, non-discriminatory and transparent evaluation criteria. The College recognises that its endorsement is an important perceived marker of quality by general practitioners.
Fee Structure
Endorsement Criteria
Application for Endorsement
Timescales
Contact and Enquires
Fee Structure
In considering endorsement, the College applies scrutiny to ensure that products are of the highest quality and appropriate for use by general practitioners. In most instances an application fee will be required. This application fee will be comparable with the amount of College resource required to perform the evaluation process. That is, fees will vary between assessing simple resources such as pamphlets and posters to lengthy clinical guidelines.
Successful endorsement translates into permission to use the RACGP name and/or crest. Organisations will, in most cases, be required to pay an endorsement fee and will be expected to comply with terms and conditions described in a formal IP Licence Agreement.
For more information relating to fees and the endorsement process please contact the Representatives and Endorsements Coordinator.
Endorsement Criteria
In evaluating products such as guidelines and similar types of resources, the College applies criteria to ensure the product:
- Is current and based on best available evidence
- demonstrates substance and integrity in supporting Guideline Development Material or assessment by the Agree II Instrument as appropriate
- is free of advertising (actual or perceived) of any commercially available Product with which the applicant is in any way associated for commercial reward
- is balanced and comprehensive
- possesses clinical relevance and clarity of presentation
The most common method used by the RACGP in assessing applications for endorsement is the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. The Agree II Instrument provides a framework for assessing guidelines, handbooks and various other resources.
In addition to the criteria noted above, organisations applying for endorsement of guidelines and similar resources, need to provide:
- documentation evidencing a “strongly recommend” result by self-assessment utilising the Agree II Instrument
- appropriate Guideline Development Material establishing credibility of the Guidelines
- particulars of the extent, if any, to which general practitioners have been involved in development of the Guidelines
- an outline of the strategy for dissemination and implementation of the Guidelines in general practice
- the extent (if any) to which the Guidelines will have national relevance.
More broadly products must:
- possess inherent quality and integrity of design and/or manufacture
- possess an acceptable degree of consistency in performance generally considered acceptable in the market-place for Products of that nature in accordance with its intended purpose or outcome
- be legally and environmentally compliant, safe, clearly labelled and, if appropriate, accompanied with clear instructions as to use, restrictions or limitations
- accord with any applicable standards
- be relevant to the conduct of general practice or otherwise “add value” for general practitioners or the College
- be promoted, marketed and offered by reputable and solvent entities possessing ethics, integrity, philosophy and image consistent with those of the College
- complement and not compete with existing or proposed College activities or Products
- not unreasonably undermine or conflict with the intent or purpose of any Products which are the subject of a current Endorsement by the College; and
- accord with the College’s mission, purpose and strategic direction.
Application for Endorsement
Organisations wishing to apply for endorsement will need to contact the Representatives and Endorsements Coordinator to acquire an application form.
Timescales
The process of endorsement can be time consuming. Organisations submitting guidelines or clinical material for endorsement should wherever possible specify a deadline and allow a minimum of 12 weeks from the date of submission.
Contact and Enquiries
Representatives and Endorsements Coordinator
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Email: reps&endorsements@racgp.org.au
Phone: 03 8699 0479
Related links
The RACGP is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse content on external sites.