Accreditation in general practice was established to promote a culture of quality and safety in Australian general practices. General practices are assessed for accreditation against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practices (3rd or 4th edition until 1 November 2011, after which practices will only be assessed against the 4th edition), which is considered the benchmark for high quality care in Australian general practice.

The RACGP Standards for General Practice were developed in the 1990's with the purpose of assisting general practices to fulfil a process of quality improvement. The Standards are now in their 4th edition and are the result of an ongoing review process and consultation with experts within the profession, as well as consumers, to ensure they are appropriate for today’s primary health care climate.

RACGP Standards for General Practices, 4th edition - Click Here 

RACGP Summary of the Key Changes to the Standards of General Practice - Click Here

RACGP Infection Control Standards for Office Based Practices, 4th edition - Hardcopy available only – order through the RACGP 

General Practice accreditation organisations in Australia

There are currently two organisations which provide accreditation services to general practices in Australia:

AGPAL – Australian General Practices Accreditation Limited

Level 1, 65 Park Road
PO Box 2058
MILTON QLD 4064

Ph: 1300 362 111
Fax: 1300 362 110
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.qip.com.au

GPA Accreditation Plus

95-97 Sheridan Street
GUNDAGAI NSW 2722

Ph: 1800 188 088
Fax: 1800 644 807
Website: www.gpa.net.au

Accreditation and the Practice Incentives Program (PIP)

Practices are required to either be accredited or registered for accreditation in order to be eligible to receive PIP payments. Further information about the Practice Incentive Program be found via the link below

PIP Information

How the ISML Practice Support Service can Assist you

The ISML Primary Care Support Service provides support for practices undertaking accreditation for the first time, or for those undergoing re-accreditation. The Primary Care Support Service is able to assist practices undertaking accreditation through:  

• Undertaking an accreditation practice visit, at the beginning of the accreditation process to provide a basic outline of the tasks that are involved in accreditation as well as a basic understanding of what is needed to complete each RACGP standard
• Providing templates and resources to assist practices in fulfilling accreditation requirements
• Undertaking a practice visit prior to the day of accreditation to review accreditation standards and go through final checklists together in preparation for the visit

Phone and email support is provided by the ISML Primary Care Support Service or alternatively, a practice visit can also be arranged. To arrange a practice visit please contact Melanie or Kathy on 4220 7600 or through email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Additional Intensive Support

The Primary Care Support Team is also available to assist practices with:

• Writing or updating policy and procedure manuals
• Completing AGPAL Pro online
• Completing GPA pre-survey visit paper work
• Developing practice-specific templates
• Onsite workshops
                 > Accreditation overview
                 > Infection control
                 > Sterilisation
                 > Triage

This service is part of the Primary Care Support Package and there will be a fee charged for this service.

For more information on how we can help your practice, or for a no obligation quote, please give the Primary Care Support Team a call on 4220 7600 or send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it