February 2024

I hope you’re enjoying the summer, taking care of yourself, and settling into 2024.

There is plenty to look forward to this year, with the drafting of the sixth edition Standards underway and upcoming consultation to accompany its development. There will be opportunities to review the draft sixth edition and give feedback to the RACGP Expert Committee – Standards for General Practices (REC-SGP) throughout the year, and we will provide regular updates via this newsletter and other RACGP channels.

National engagement with GPs and key stakeholders in the profession aims to ensure that the sixth edition Standards are feasible and acceptable to the profession. Piloting the draft Standards will bolster such consultation and ensure the new Standards are assessable by accreditation surveyors.

I look forward to a productive year and thank you for your ongoing engagement with the RACGP Standards.

We recently updated the Summer planning toolkit on our website. This toolkit helps your practice consider activities that support the health and safety of your patients and practice team throughout the summer.

The toolkit covers:

• Module 1: Natural disasters and emergencies
• Module 2: Health equity - caring for priority populations
• Module 3: Chronic disease and heat
• Module 4: Mental Health
• Module 5: Acute illness, including viral infections
• Module 6: Staffing
• Module 7: GP Support
• Standards, resources and references

The updated toolkit links you and your practice team to key resources from the RACGP and other leading organisations. It includes information on summer readiness, including information on emergency preparedness, epidemics and chronic disease, and advice on keeping you and your patients safe and healthy during summer. It identifies accreditation alignments and requirements within the Standards.

The RACGP’s position on the use of telehealth in general practice was released late last year. It outlines the benefits of telehealth in general practice, including increased flexibility and access to healthcare and reduced patient costs and reduced environmental impact of transportation.

The key principles of telehealth provision are outlined in the position statement, stressing that telehealth services should be provided by a patient’s usual GP or general practice wherever possible to ensure the delivery of safe, necessary and appropriate care.

If your practice provides telehealth services, you should be familiar with the principles set out in the position, as well as the challenges, risks and barriers to telehealth.

The Standards support the provision of telehealth, providing explanatory materials throughout. This includes advice on:

• appointment types (Core 1.1 – Information about your practice)
• managing contact with patients for a telehealth appointment (Core 1.2 – Telephone and electronic communications)
• using interpreters and other communication services over telehealth (Core 1.4 – Interpreter and other communication services)
• confidentiality and privacy when using telehealth (Core 6.3 – Confidentiality and privacy of health and other information)
• privacy when providing consultations by telehealth (GP 5.1 – Practice facilities)
• equipment for practices providing telehealth (GP 5.2 – Practice equipment).

All healthcare practitioners must be trained in CPR so they can respond appropriately in the event of an emergency. CPR training must comply with Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines and include the operation of an automated external defibrillator (AED) according to manufacturers' instructions.

CPR training can be conducted by an accredited training provider or by clinical team members who are appropriately qualified. These clinical team members must have a current CPR instructor’s certificate that complies with ARC guidelines on instructor competencies.

The ARC requires that CPR trainees physically demonstrate their skills at the completion of the course. CPR training that is completed solely online does not meet this requirement. For clinical team members, CPR training must be undertaken within the RACGP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) triennium, or in accordance with CPR recommendations set by their professional organisation, at least once every three years.

Our FAQs provide you with further details to understand the requirements for CPR training in relation to the Standards.

If you have any thoughts on our newsletter and the content you’d like us to provide, our two-minute survey is open for your feedback.

If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, refer them to the RACGP Standards news page to subscribe. Alternatively, they can email standards@racgp.org.au with their name, position and email address. You can contact the RACGP Standards team at this address any time for more information or assistance.

We encourage you to connect with the RACGP through our social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.