In June 2000, Practice Accreditation was endorsed by the Clinical Standards Board as its recommended method of accrediting standards in general practice in Scotland. The Scheme is delivered locally by Primary Care Trusts and Islands Health Boards and there is no cost to practices. Practice Accreditation covers a wide range of clinical and service criteria applicable to both patients and the primary care team. The criteria are set in three categories - Essential, Good, and Quality, and number 127 in all. Practices must meet all 46 Essential criteria and must demonstrate that they can also meet a maximum of 20 Good and Quality criteria.
Practices complete a self-assessment checklist indicating which criteria they have met.
This is then assessed by a multidisciplinary team of two, one of which is a GP, who will conduct a half-day visit to meet members of the practice team and verify the information provided on the checklist. On successful assessment, practices will receive a Certificate which is valid for three years. Work is underway, by a multidisciplinary group, to develop Version 2 of the criteria. This will be endorsed by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, Scottish General Practitioners Committee, Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives. In addition, the College has worked closely with the Directors of Postgraduate Medical Education to produce new Training Practice Approval criteria which incorporates the Essential elements of Practice Accreditation.