Process for initial accreditation
Our eligibility criteria guide the process for accreditation of new training sites and supervisors. A training site’s accreditation status is assessed as part of our review of an FSP applicant’s eligibility. If the training site is not already accredited for the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program, it will be given interim accreditation for FSP and supported to reach training accreditation in the first six months of their FSP registrar’s program.
All sites where registrars are placed (including branch practices and ARST placements) must be accredited and each registrar must be allocated an accredited supervisor either onsite or offsite.
The accreditation process is designed to reduce duplication of activities for training sites and supervisors.
The application process aims to:
- inform the prospective training site and supervisors about the requirements of accreditation
- enable the RACGP to judge the capacity of the training site and supervisors to meet the requirements of accreditation
- identify and address any gaps in the capability of the training site and supervisors to achieve the standards of accreditation.
A practice visit is undertaken as a component of accreditation; this may be conducted onsite or virtually.
Initially, interim accreditation is granted with the aim of supporting the new site and supervisors. Regular contact and feedback from the RACGP provide the opportunity for review with the intention being to move to full accreditation after completion of six months of registrar placement.
The scope of the training practice is determined during the accreditation process. Patient demographics, location (e.g. remote), supervisor experience and accessibility are some of the factors that are considered.
Training sites and supervisors are accredited for three years (inclusive of the six-month provisional accreditation period) with the accreditation of supervisors aligned to the site’s accreditation, in some circumstances. Training accreditation will move to align with general practice (or equivalent) accreditation cycles.
Once formally accredited – initial or reaccreditation – the site will receive a certificate of accreditation as a FSP Training site. For the full accreditation process, please refer to the FSP Accreditation application handbook for training sites and supervisors.