Managing complaints Practices should adopt a receptive attitude to patient feedback and complaints, and consider displaying notices that state that the practice will always try to resolve complaints directly. Develop a system to record, review, and manage complaints, including how you will advise patients of the progress and outcome of their complaint. If you receive a patient complaint, try to resolve the issue without involving any other parties. If necessary, contact your medical defence organisation to seek advice on resolving a complaint before any further action is taken. Read Section 3 of the MBA Code of Conduct that contains advice about managing complaints at the practice level (available at ). Basic steps include: acknowledging the patient’s right to complain working with the patient to resolve the where possible providing a prompt, open and constructive response, including an explanation and, if appropriate, an apology ensuring the complaint does not adversely affect the patient’s care. In some cases, it may be advisable to refer the patient to another practitioner complying with laws, policies and procedures relating to complaints. If the matter cannot be resolved, you or the patient can contact your Health Complaints Commissioner for advice and possible mediation. Examples of how a practice choose to meet this Criterion The following list contains some of the ways you might choose to demonstrate how your practice meets the requirements of this Criterion. Your practice may choose other forms of evidence to demonstrate how you meet the Criterion. The following examples may not be suitable for all practices and contexts. Maintain position descriptions that clearly explain responsibilities and lines of accountability. Have regular meetings with staff. Create a contract with your cleaning company and have them sign it. Maintain a HR policy and procedures manual. Keep a complaints ledger.
Criterion 2.3 - Informed patient decisions Indicators ► A. Our patients can access information from the clinical team about proposed investigations, referrals and treatments, including the purpose, importance, benefits, and risks. ► B. Our patients receive information to support the diagnosis, treatment and management of conditions. Why this is important Patients have the right to make informed decisions about their health, medical treatments, referrals and procedures, and therefore practices need to provide information that the patient can understand, tailored according to their individual needs and circumstances. Meeting this Criterion Providing appropriate and sufficient information Information provided to patients can be paper-based or online (e.g. leaflets, brochures, links to reputable websites). The information needs to be delivered in an appropriate language and format, which means using simple language, minimising jargon and complicated terms, and using clear diagrams. Consideration also needs to be given to: the patient’s physical, visual and cognitive capacities, may affect their ability to understand the information, make decisions, or provide consent the way potentially sensitive information is communicated (e.g. sexually transmitted infections, borne viruses, and pregnancy results) the patient’s cultural and linguistic background (e.g. you may need to use an interpreter to check that the patient understands everything that you have told them) situations where patients are dependent on a third party for their ongoing care, as the carer needs to receive and understand all appropriate information. Information about interventions Providing information tests and treatments (including medicines and medicine safety) may help patients to make informed decisions about their health care. For this reason, practitioners can consider: offering to discuss any issues about a patient’s condition, proposed treatment and medicines that could be confusing directing patients to reliable health and medicine websites where they can find further information
7.4 – Information security ► A. Our practice has a team member who has primary responsibility for the electronic systems and computer security. 4.2.2 ► D ► B. Our practice does not or temporarily leave the personal health information of patients where members of the public could sight or access that information. 4.2.2 ► A ► C. Our practice’s computers are accessible only via individual passwords that give access to information according to the person’s level of authorisation. 4.2.2 ► B ► D. Our practice has a business continuity plan relating to the storage of patient health information. 4.2.2 ► C ► E. Our practice securely transfers electronic patient health information. 4.2.2 ► F ► F. Our practice has appropriate procedures for the storage, retention and destruction of records. 4.2.2 ► G ► G. Only authorised people can access prescription pads, letterhead, administrative records, and other official documents. 5.1.1 ► E ► H. Our practice has a policy on the use of email and social media. New Indicator
Preface to draft of Standard 10: Practice facilities Indicators in this Standard This contains very similar information to the corresponding Standard in the 4th edition Standards. There have been no substantial changes. Mapping of the 5th edition to the 4th edition Standards 5th edition Criterion 5th edition Indicator 4th edition Criterion and Indicator 10.1 – Practice facilities ► A. Our practice facilities are fit for purpose. 5.1.1 ► A 5.1.3 ► A ► B. Our practice ensures that all patient consultations take place in a dedicated consultation or examination space. 5.1.1 ► B ► C. Our consultation spaces permit patient privacy and confidentiality. 5.1.2 ► A 5.1.2 ► B ► D. Our practice has a waiting area that accommodates the usual number of patients and other people who would be waiting at any given time. 5.1.1 ► C 5.1.1 H ► E. Our practice has accessible toilets and hand-cleaning facilities. 5.1.1 ► D ► F. Our practice is visibly clean. 5.3.3 ► E
► B. In addition to the formal feedback process, our practice seeks and responds to feedback collected from patients, carers and other relevant parties on an ongoing basis. 2.1.2 ► A ► C. Our practice can demonstrate how we have analysed and responded to feedback. 2.1.2 ► D ► D. Our practice promotes how we have responded to feedback. 2.1.2 E 1.3 – Improving clinical care A. Our practice team uses documented standardised clinical terminology. 1.7.2 C B. Our practice team undertakes activities aimed at improving clinical practice. New Indicator
Preface to draft of Standard 1: Comprehensive care Indicators in this Standard Indicators from different sections of the 4th edition Standards that relate to Comprehensive Care have been brought together into this Standard. These Indicators specify the care that general practices and clinicians need to directly provide to their patients, as well as the systems that support patient care. New Indicators New Indicator Description and explanation Other comments 1.3 ► C Practices need to manage urgent results that are identified This was included in the explanatory notes of the 4th edition but there was no Indicator. This Indicator has been included in response to that identified gap in the 4th edition Standards. 1.5 ► D Practices need to have a reminder system This was included in the explanatory notes of the 4th edition but there was no Indicator. This Indicator has been included in response to that identified gap in the 4th edition Standards. Mapping of the 5th edition to the 4th edition Standards 5th edition Criterion 5th edition Indicator 4th edition Criterion and Indicator 1.1 – Responsive system for patient care ► A. Our practice provides different consultation types to accommodate patients’ needs. 1.1.1 ► B ► B. Our practice has a triage system. 1.1.1 ► A ► C. Our ‘on hold message’ advises patients to call 000 in case of an emergency (applicable only if the practice has an on-hold message). 1.1.2 C 1.2 – Home and other visits ► A. Our patients can access home and other visits, both within and outside normal opening hours, when safe and reasonable. 1.1.3 ► A 1.3 – Care outside normal opening hours ► A. Our patients can access care. 1.1.4 ► A ► B. Our patients are alerted to processes to access after-hours care. 1.1.4 ► B ► C. Time-critical results identified outside normal opening hours are managed by our practice. New Indicator
Standard 1: Comprehensive care Our practice provides comprehensive care to our patients. The scope of general practice is not limited by age, gender, body system, disease process, or service site, and as such, it spans: prevention health promotion early intervention for those at risk the management of acute, chronic, and complex conditions the entire practice population whether in the practice, patients’ homes, health service facilities, outreach clinics, hospitals and other community facilities and spaces. This Standard includes Criteria that relate to: providing comprehensive care in a general practice context, covering scheduling of appointments the triage of patients so that the most appropriate care is provided the ability for the practice to conduct home and other visits and care after-hours. the coordination of care outside of the practice the system the practice has for recalls and reminders. Criterion 1.1 – Responsive system for patient care Indicators ► A. Our practice provides different consultation types to accommodate patients’ needs. ► B. Our practice has a triage system. ► C. Our ‘on hold message’ advises patients to call 000 in case of an emergency (applicable only if the practice has an on-hold message). Why this is important Practice staff need to be able to identify patients' needs and provide care in order to treat patients effectively. Patients need to be referred to the right clinician to receive the right level of care within an appropriate period. Those patients with urgent needs must be seen quickly. When patients call the practice in the case of an emergency and are put on hold, they should know that they need to ring 000.
Preface to draft of Standard 2: Infection prevention and control in the practice Indicators in this Standard The Indicators in this Standard are similar to those in the 4th edition Standards. New Indicators New Indicator Description and explanation Other comments 2.1 F Tracking and tracing of reusable medical devices. This was identified as a gap in the 4th edition Standards during the Initial Consultation Mapping of the 5th edition to the 4th edition Standards 5th edition Criterion 5th edition Indicator 4th edition Criterion and Indicator 2.1 - Infection prevention and control, including sterilisation ► A. Our practice has a team member who has primary responsibility for coordinating infection control and sterilisation processes, including, where relevant: provision of an adequate range of sterile reprocessed or disposable equipment procedures for having instruments sterilised off site, including documentary evidence of a validated process procedures for on-site sterilisation of equipment, including monitoring the integrity of the whole sterilisation process, validation of the sterilisation process and steriliser maintenance safe storage and stock rotation of sterile products management. 5.3.3 ► A ► B. Our practice has a team member who has primary responsibility for providing staff education on infection control. 5.3.3 ► G ► C. All members of our practice team manage risks of potential cross-infection within our practice including: hand hygiene the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) triage of patients with potential communicable disease 5.3.3 ► D
safe storage and disposal of clinical waste including sharps managing and body fluid spills. ► D. Our patients are informed about respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene and precautionary techniques to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases. 5.3.3 ► I E. Our practice tracks and logs the patients on which reusable medical instruments have been used. New Indicator