RACGP Releases Sixth Edition of General Practice Standards
26 Aug 2026
The new Standards for general practices (6th edition) have been developed following consultation with healthcare professionals, consumers and other stakeholders.
The updated Standards are designed to reflect the changing needs of Australian general practice while maintaining a focus on safe and quality patient care.
New and updated areas include:
- Artificial intelligence
- Practice planning and development
- Environmental sustainability
- Consumer engagement
- Continuous quality improvement
- Digital health and data governance
- Privacy and confidentiality
The sixth edition places a stronger focus on person-centred care. Patient needs, preferences and experiences are included throughout the Standards, with greater emphasis on shared decision-making and patient participation.
Consumer expectation statements have also been introduced to keep patient perspectives central to care.
The Standards have been reorganised into four main areas:
- Foundations of general practice
- Clinical governance
- Patient participation
- Continuous quality improvement
An optional standard for point-of-care testing is also included.
The new framework takes a more outcomes-focused approach. Rather than requiring practices to follow specific processes, it focuses on what practices should achieve while allowing them flexibility in how they meet the requirements.
The sixth edition also provides clearer separation between requirements and guidance, along with expanded guidance to support consistent implementation.
The existing definition of a general practice introduced in 2024 remains in place. Practices should check their eligibility against the new Standards before seeking accreditation.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care will provide further information about transition arrangements from the fifth to the sixth edition.
All practices undergoing accreditation will need to meet the sixth edition requirements after the transition period. The RACGP recommends that practices begin reviewing the new Standards, governance arrangements and risk structures early.
RACGP Releases Sixth Edition of General Practice Standards
Source: RACGP