Competencies arranged by Milestone

Table of all competencies

Progressive capability profile of the specialist general practitioner

Table of contents

Last revised: 11 Aug 2025

Table of all competencies

The roles and capabilities of the specialist general practitioner are:

Communicator

Communicate effectively with patients and families

Practice culturally respectful, responsive and safe communication

Communicate relevant information efficiently to others involved in a patients care

Clinician

Provide person-centred and comprehensive care, using a biopsychosocial approach

Conduct consultations to effectively facilitate care

Apply expert medical knowledge and skills in assessing and diagnosing conditions

Manage the full range of presentations including providing first contact access

Manage uncertainty and undifferentiated presentations

Promote health and deliver preventive care

Health advocate and leader

Advocate for access to care

Coordinate care and lead healthcare teams

Responsibly steward healthcare system utilisation

Promote practice quality, safety and viability

Professional

Behave in a professional and ethical way

Practice self-care

Engage in reflective practice and ongoing learning

Understand own professional competency

Meet legal and duty of care responsibilities

Scientist, educator, and researcher

Integrate best available scientific evidence into practice

Support learning and improvement through education, mentoring, and engagement with research

The specialist GP as a communicator

This role includes how a specialist general practitioner communicates with patients, families, carers, other health professionals and within the practice. It includes verbal, non-verbal, written and digital communication.

		Milestone competencies
Capability	Theme	Entry	Foundation	Consolidation	Fellowship
Communicate effectively with patients and families	Patient-centred communication	Communicate effectively in routine consultations	Adapt communication to patient needs, health literacy and context	Consistently communicate effectively, respectfully and empathically with patients, families and carers	Communicate effectively, respectfully and empathically with patients, families and carers with proactive use of appropriate resources
	Communication where there are language barriers	Tailor communication style to effectively interact with patients where there are language barriers including children and people with disability	Tailor communication style to effectively interact with patients where there are language barriers in the general practice context	Adapt style and utilise resources to effectively communicate with patients where there are language barriers	Communicate effectively, respectfully and empathically with patients where there are language barriers, with proactive use of appropriate resources
	Navigating challenging conversations	Communicate effectively and with empathy in challenging situations to provide factual information	Communicate effectively with patients and carers in challenging situations, assessing understanding and enabling patients to make informed decisions about next steps	Effectively and clearly communicate in challenging situations, including where there is uncertainty	Communicate effectively in a sensitive, compassionate manner in challenging conversations
	Shared decision making	Provide information on options to patients in a way they understand	Acknowledge and explain to patients when there are options, so they understand there is choice and the benefits and harms	Counsel patients on the benefits and harms of diagnostic and management options to support shared decision-making	Facilitate shared decision-making to align patient values, goals and preferences to develop a personalised plan
	Therapeutic relationship	Demonstrate empathy and compassion, using language, non-verbal behaviour and active listening to establish rapport	Establish therapeutic relationships in the general practice context	Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships that can navigate differences of opinion	Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships, using contextual awareness in encounters that are challenging including when there are different frames of reference
	Navigating transference and countertransference	Knowing about transference and countertransference	Being aware of the impact of transference and countertransference on the consultation	Identify and manage transference and countertransference	Utilise transference and countertransference to achieve therapeutic benefit while managing boundaries
Practice culturally respectful, responsive and safe communication	Communicating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Demonstrate cultural awareness of appropriate communication and rapport building skills with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Demonstrate cultural sensitivity by using culturally appropriate communication and rapport building skills with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Demonstrate culture responsiveness by appropriate communication, interaction and rapport building with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, including when diverse perspectives, contexts and historical events may have an impact	Demonstrate cultural safety through self-reflection and integration of cultural perspectives, beliefs and the impact of historical events to enhance communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
	Communicating with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse peoples	Demonstrate respectful interest and compassion in consultation with patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds	Demonstrate culturally safe communication in consultations with patients of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including ensuring understanding and the use of interpreters when needed	Integrate the cultural experience of the patient to demonstrate culturally safe and effective communication with patients and families	Integrate cultural perspectives, beliefs and effects of events to provide culturally safe and effective communication
Communicate relevant information efficiently to others involved in a patients care	Team communication and handover	Effectively communicate with others in the care team, including verbal and written communication	Effectively communicate with the care team including highlighting important information for patient care	Effectively and efficiently communicate with the care team in a manner that helps others frame their care of the patient	Effectively and efficiently communicate with the care team in a manner that allows all to understand their roles in assisting the patient
	Communication with others in the practice	Effectively and respectfully communicate with clinical and non-clinical staff	Demonstrate through their communication, respect for others who work in the practice and their roles within the practice	Effectively and constructively communicate with others in the practice to achieve optimal outcomes	Effectively and constructively communicate with others in the practice to support optimal performance of each person and the practice

The specialist GP as a clinician

This role encompasses the clinical role of a specialist general practitioner. It acknowledges the distinct person-centred approach of a specialist general practitioner to the full range of presentations across all ages and all populations and how they help patients whilst also addressing health promotion and public health.

		Milestone competencies
Capability	Theme	Entry	Foundation	Consolidation	Fellowship
Provide person-centred and comprehensive care, using a biopsychosocial approach	Person-centred approach	Discuss whole person-centred culturally appropriate care, and its interface with the biopsychosocial approach	Identify psychological, social and cultural factors that impact the patient and the opportunities for person-centred care	Acknowledge and respect patients’ experiences and perspectives and integrate these into care	Accommodate patients’ experiences and perspectives and integrate these into the ongoing provision of whole person care
	Comprehensive care with continuity	Identify opportunities for, and potential benefits of, comprehensive care and continuity of care	Provide care considerate of the patient’s physical, mental and social health and facilitate continuity of care when possible	Provide comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions and utilise the opportunities of continuity of care	Provide comprehensive care with appropriate continuity
	Strengths based approaches with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Respect and support the self-identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and identify specific cultural and health needs required to deliver whole-person care.	Recognise the cultural strengths and values of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to support the delivery of person-centred care.	Integrate the cultural strengths, needs, and appropriate resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to enable the delivery of person-centred care.	Uphold the principle of self-determination by empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples to have a voice in their healthcare decisions, fostering culturally safe, person-centred approaches that promote autonomy and equitable health outcomes.
	Trauma-informed	Understand the health and wellbeing impacts of trauma, including intergenerational trauma and the effect on the therapeutic relationship	Demonstrate an understanding of the health and wellbeing impacts of trauma, and describe the principles of trauma-informed care in practice	Start applying trauma-informed care principles into clinical practice by creating a safe, supportive environment, actively listening to patients, and recognising the impact of trauma on their health	Integrate trauma-informed care principles and adapt approaches through reflective practice, ensuring interventions promote healing, resilience, and trust in the therapeutic relationship.
Conduct consultations to effectively facilitate care	Consultation management	Elicit the patient’s agenda and have a structured approach to consultations	Demonstrate a structured approach to consultations including agenda negotiation, setting reasonable expectations for what is achievable, and planning follow up	Demonstrate a structured approach to consultations including negotiating and prioritising agendas and health issues to optimise the consultation potential	Utilises structured consultations with effective agenda prioritisation and time management, encompassing a holistic approach
Apply expert medical knowledge and skills in assessing and diagnosing conditions	Clinical information gathering	Obtain relevant history, examination and investigations to inform diagnosis and care	Obtain relevant history, perform a focused examination and rationally select investigations relevant to the general practice context to inform care	Efficiently obtain relevant history, perform a focused examination and considering the general practice context, the appropriate investigations to inform care	While considering the patient and context obtain relevant history, examination and investigations to inform care
	Diagnostic reasoning	Use hypothetico-deductive reasoning to make diagnoses	Interpret and synthesise complex clinical assessment and diagnostic information to reach high probability diagnoses	Demonstrate proficiency in clinical problem solving with the ability to adapt reasoning based on emerging information and priorities	Interpret, synthesise and prioritise clinical data in clinical reasoning, and reappraisal over time to integrate new information and modify diagnostic reasoning
Manage the full range of presentations including providing first contact access	Urgent, emergent, time sensitive care	Assess presentations for red flags, identify when acute management is required and provide basic life support when needed	Identify clinical deterioration, escalate care and manage appropriately within the general practice context	Have a structured, rational approach to assessment that prospectively assesses deterioration risk to anticipate and manage urgent and emergent conditions, including provision of advanced life support	Manage urgent, emergent, and complex acute situations in line with contemporary practice in the general practice environment
	Management planning	Formulate safe and evidence-informed management plans, seeking timely help from colleagues	Develop management plans that are considerate of patient preferences and evidence, identifying opportunities for patient self-care and management	Develop management and follow up procedures, referral, appropriate review and safety netting.	Develop holistic, rational, patient-centred management plans that are evidence-informed, implementable and revised as needed
	Prescribing	Prescribe safely for common presentations	Prescribe safely and lawfully, including management of polypharmacy	Undertake rational, safe prescribing and medication monitoring	Undertake rational, safe prescribing, deprescribing, and medication monitoring
	Procedures	Safely undertake procedures under appropriate supervision	Safely undertake procedures in general practice context with appropriate supervision	Safely undertake procedures appropriate to context and skill levels	Maintain currency in safely undertaking procedures relevant to the context of practice
Manage uncertainty and assess undifferentiated presentations	Management of uncertainty	Recognise that uncertainty is a factor to be addressed in diagnosis and management	Address uncertainty and complexity in clinical encounters in a safe manner	Manage uncertainty and complexity with appropriate safety-netting and use of time as a diagnostic aid	Manage uncertainty, complexity and ongoing undifferentiated presentations
	Assessment and management of undifferentiated presentations	With support, assess and manage presentations and seek assistance as required	Assess and manage a range of conditions, including first contact undifferentiated presentations, and seek assistance when needed	Assess and manage a wide range of presentations with appropriate safety-netting	Assess and manage the full range of presentations including safety-netting and empowering patient self-efficacy
Promote health and deliver preventive care	Promoting health and wellbeing	Identify individuals with risk factors for common preventable conditions and opportunities to encourage health promoting behaviour and actions	Identify and prioritise preventive care opportunities in consultations including opportunistic preventive actions and education	Integrate understanding of stages of change and harm minimisation into evidence informed personalised preventive care	Provide evidence-informed personalised preventive care and support relevant to the patient’s context, including access to screening and systems for recall
	Health education and health literacy	Identify opportunities to provide patients or carers with health information including about normal life stages	Proactively provide some opportunistic health education about potential future health needs	Anticipate potential health knowledge needs and prospectively provide relevant information	Use a range of strategies and resources to provide appropriately detailed health education relevant to the patient context
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Identify and understand the health patterns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and recognise relevant opportunities for health promotion.	Understand the importance of specific preventative health screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and apply it in clinical practice.	Integrate preventative healthcare with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by understanding the importance of self-determination and community-led approaches.	Incorporates strengths-based approaches into health promotion activities by recognising and building on the cultural, social, and community strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
	Public health	Recognise common health issues that may impact public health and any reportable disease requirements	Identify public health risks seen in general practice and manage appropriately within the consultation	Appropriately notify and/or intervene regarding public health risks	Identify and manage emerging public health risks in the local community

The specialist GP as a health advocate and leader

This role includes the work a specialist general practitioner does to support patients and communities, lead healthcare teams and manage the provision of care in safe sustainable practices and systems.

		Milestone competencies
Capability	Theme	Entry	Foundation	Consolidation	Fellowship
Advocate for access to care	Advocate for individual patients	Identify barriers to healthcare for patients	Recognise potential approaches to addressing barriers to healthcare for patients	Facilitate access to care for individuals	Use innovative approaches to overcome obstacles to care for individuals
	Addressing health inequality and inequity	Identify the determinants that contribute to poorer health outcomes in population groups	Identify culturally appropriate health services to support individuals from specific population groups to optimise health	Identify and address causes of systemic disadvantage that impact local community health and access to care	Identify strategies to improve health equality and equity in the local community
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health	Identify some factors contributing to the health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Understand the key social, colonial, historical and systemic factors contributing the health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	Apply knowledge of health inequities to provide patient-centred, strengths based and culturally safe care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities.	Identify opportunities for engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations and health leaders that are progressing health equity and support their efforts to inform policy development and health system reform
	Systemic causes of inequity, including discrimination and racism	Recognise that there are systemic healthcare barriers that discriminate against specific population groups resulting in health inequity	Identify potential approaches to addressing systemic healthcare barriers	Identify advocacy opportunities to address systemic healthcare barriers that are relevant to the general practice context and participate when feasible and reasonable	Advocate for systemic changes to optimise health outcomes
Coordinate care and lead healthcare teams	Working within a multi-disciplinary team	Work respectfully and collaborate effectively with colleagues in healthcare teams	Identify patient care needs and coordinate care with relevant team members	Collaborate with health care teams to provide effective, efficient patient-centred care	Lead collaborative healthcare teams providing continuity, and efficient, effective care respectful of patient preferences
Coordinate care and lead healthcare teams	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health	Recognise and respect the unique knowledge and perspectives of identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health experts including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners/ workers/ liaison officers, nurses, psychologists, specialists other culturally relevant allied health experts	Identify opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health experts to be part of the healthcare team	Work collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health experts within the healthcare team.	Provide opportunities to elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health expertise to strengthen culturally informed and responsive care that improves health outcomes
Responsibly steward healthcare system utilisation	Rational use of Australian healthcare system	Understand the Australian healthcare system structure and the concept of resource limitations	Use the healthcare system in the context of general practice and rationally use resources	Utilise healthcare resources judiciously and maintain compliance with program guidelines	Utilise health system resources responsibly, effectively and efficiently
Promote practice quality, safety and viability	Technology	Understand that effective use of technology and eHealth systems can optimise patient care	Use eHealth systems appropriately in the delivery of patient care	Use eHealth systems and technology tools to support patient care taking into consideration their benefits and risks	Use developing technology and eHealth systems in practice to optimise patient care
	Practice systems	Understand systems-based approaches to safe quality care	Utilise core practice systems in general practice to provide safe quality care	Effectively use the full range of practice systems in general practice to provide safe quality care	Contribute to identifying and implementing improvements in practice systems
	Near misses and adverse events (including critical incidents)	Identify, report and debrief with a supervisor after near misses and adverse events (including critical incidents)	Identify and discuss with supervisor, near misses and adverse events (including critical incidents) in the general practice context	Analyse individual and system factors that contributed to near misses and adverse events (including critical incidents) and identify mitigating initiatives	Participate in or lead review of near misses and adverse events (including critical incidents) and support quality clinical governance in own practice
	Quality improvement initiatives	Understand the principles of quality improvement	Understand how quality improvement principles can be applied in general practice	Participate in and generate new quality improvement initiatives	Identify and lead quality improvement initiatives
	General practice as a business	Recognise key differences between the business elements of general practice and hospitals	Recognise the value of clinical services provided and how that contributes to the practice as a business	Understand the general practice environment and the essentials of business that influence practice viability	Understand the basis of the management of a general practice as an ethical, legal and viable business
	Safe workplaces	Identify issues that can arise in ensuring physical, mental and cultural safety of the work environment as it applies to staff as well as patients	Participate in ensuring the general practice work environment is physically, mentally and culturally safe and supported	Address issues that are impacting on the physical, mental and cultural safety of the general practice work environment	Actively promote a work environment that is physically, mentally and culturally safe and supportive, which facilitates clinical safety

The specialist GP as a professional

This role includes the professional elements of being a specialist general practitioner, including self-care, reflective skills, continual improvement and legal and ethical responsibilities.

		Milestone competencies
Capability	Theme	Entry	Foundation	Consolidation	Fellowship
Behave in a professional and ethical way	Professional behaviour	Integrate professional codes of conduct into practice	Integrate professional codes of conduct into practice in the general practice setting	Conduct oneself professionally and identify and address risks to professional conduct by oneself and others	Be an exemplar of professional behaviour and consistently follow professional codes of conduct in practice and reflect on own adherence. Understand own role as part of a collective to follow expected professional standards
	Therapeutic boundaries	Recognise and respect therapeutic boundaries, seeking assistance when needed	Recognise threats to therapeutic boundaries and know how to access support in maintaining therapeutic boundaries	Identify threats to therapeutic boundaries and manage these professionally	Identify potential threats to therapeutic boundaries and take preventive measures to preserve therapeutic boundaries
	Ethical issues	A strong commitment to ethical practice, including seeking advice from senior colleagues when needed	Understand key ethical issues in the general practice context	Have a strong understanding of medical ethics in the general practice context and the skills to address challenges to ethical behaviour	Understand and navigate complexities in ethical practice to achieve a high level of ethical practice
Practice self-care	Self-care	Recognise the importance of self-care	Recognise the importance of personal health and wellbeing and practice self-care in the GP context and identify strategies to achieve this, including seeking professional advice when needed	Practice self-care whilst working and identify available supports relevant to the GP context	Develop and implement plans to enhance personal wellbeing to allow for optimal professional performance and support colleagues in practicing self-care
Engage in reflective practice and ongoing learning	Feedback and learning	Seek feedback with a willingness to change, identify learning needs and address these	Seek, engage and respond to feedback on performance. Identify learning needs, and access resources and support to address those in the general practice context	Develop processes and relationships that provide ongoing feedback on performance including peer benchmarking. Undertake professional development and make effective changes to practice based on feedback	Foster environments that encourage feedback and participate in professional development relevant to current and future practice
Engage in reflective practice and ongoing learning	Reflective practice	Engage in reflective practice during interactions, demonstrating self-awareness	Engage in reflective practice during consultations and engage in dialogue about own performance	Regularly engage in reflective practice during consultations, adapt as needed in real time, and describe influence on future practice	Proactively engage in reflective practice and utilise it to continually improve
Understand own professional competency	Self-evaluation to enhance care provision	Identify professional limitations and seek appropriate help as required	Identify professional limitations and seek appropriate help as required in the general practice context	Effectively judge the quality of the care one provides, and institute measures to improve one’s own practice	Have strategies to identify quality practice in unfamiliar environments and be able to judge one's own provision of care in any setting
Understand own professional competency	Cultural competency	Understand that a clinician’s cultural lens impacts on patient care and respect different cultural perspectives	Understand and use basic strategies to manage the impact of your cultural lens and privilege on patient care, in the context of general practice	Demonstrate awareness and critical reflection of personal values, beliefs, attitudes and power differentials in delivering safe care	Undertake regular critical reflection on own practice and utilise insights to continually improve cultural safety of patient care
Meet legal and duty of care responsibilities	Legal obligations	Respect and understand key legal principles such as privacy, confidentiality, certification, duty-of-care and informed consent	Understand and respect duty-of-care and legal responsibilities in the general practice context	Recognise, manage and seek help for complex legal issues in general practice including where there are issues around capacity for consent or conflicting duties of care	Manage complex legal issues in practice
Meet legal and duty of care responsibilities	Medical records and reports	Maintain accurate and thorough clinical records	Provide and/or access resources to support provision of accurate medico-legal documentation	Compile information from clinical records to write a factual synthesis for a medicolegal report	Synthesise clinical information for accurate medicolegal reports which may include providing a professional opinion

The specialist GP as a scientist, educator and researcher

This role includes how a specialist general practitioner has an underlying scientific basis to their work, including the social sciences, integrates evidence into care, supports the learning of others and engages with research.

		Milestone competencies
Capability	Theme	Entry	Foundation	Consolidation	Fellowship
Integrate best available scientific evidence into practice	Critical appraisal and integration of evidence	Access clinical guidelines to assist in clinical decision-making. Understand the importance of appraising research evidence critically	Access and appraise clinical guidelines to assist in clinical decisions in the GP context	Access, appraise and integrate clinical guidelines and other research evidence into clinical decisions	Integrate relevant clinical guidelines, research evidence and practice data into clinical practice
Support learning and improvement through education, mentoring, and engagement with research	Educator and mentor	Identify opportunities to mentor and support peers	Provide support and education to others in the practice	Participate in mentoring, support, constructive feedback and effective education for junior doctors and colleagues	Provide education, teaching and mentoring to colleagues, students, and others in the practice
	Research literacy	Understand the importance of robust research methods in delivering trustworthy evidence	Identify common research methods used in the general practice context to address clinical questions	Demonstrate a basic understanding of common research methods used in the general practice context and the research questions they can answer	Identify researchable questions and topics that warrant further research. Demonstrate an understanding of how common research and evaluation methods relevant to the general practice context
	Research engagement	Identify benefits of patient and practitioner participation in research	Identify the benefits and challenges of participation in research for patients and practitioners in the general practice setting	Identify research participation opportunities in general practice. Identify populations who are underrepresented in research relevant to general practice	Participate in appropriate research as opportunities arise. Identify gaps in the research literature in areas of interest, and the importance of research evidence in advocacy for patients and general practice
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research	Understand the historical impact of research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and recognise the importance of culturally safe research, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led research.	Identify and understand the principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and community-led research that respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priorities, knowledge systems and ways of being and doing.	Identify opportunities to integrate culturally safe and strengths-based research principles into primary care and recognise gaps where further research can strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes	Engage in culturally safe research as opportunities arise by partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, upholding data sovereignty, and applying strengths-based approaches. Ensure reciprocity in research by valuing community priorities, sharing findings meaningfully, and fostering sustainable benefits

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