Training site accreditation
Accreditation of training settings is a joint process occurring between Specialist Medical Colleges, training providers, their training settings, and governing health departments. All parties have the shared goal of achieving high-quality specialist medical training that is responsive to the needs of the communities of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The context in which accreditation takes place is complex. It involves different legislative environments across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, a variety of training settings, and parties that have multiple obligations.
Changes are being made to the way in which ACEM accredits training sites in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
What is changing?
The FACEM Training Program must be delivered at ACEM accredited training sites in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Training site accreditation is currently completed in line with the ACEM Accreditation Requirements.
Over the next few years, ACEM will transition to a standardised accreditation approach including:
- accrediting emergency departments against a common set of model accreditation standards (supplemented by college-specific requirements where required)
- embedding procedural fairness in accreditation processes, including giving settings the right to respond to draft accreditation findings before a final decision is made.
- use of a risk-based framework for accreditation decision making, ensuring decisions are proportionate and based on risk
- use of common terminology for accreditation decisions and outcomes, providing clarity for settings as to their accreditation status and what this means across colleges.
Model standards will be outcome-based meaning training sites will be accredited based on their capacity to support trainees to meet outcomes of the Training Program.
Why is accreditation of specialist medical training settings changing?
In 2023, the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) released the report Processes for progress - A roadmap for greater transparency and accountability in specialist medical training site accreditation. The report provided a number of recommendations which collectively aim to:
- increase consistency in how training settings are accredited across the 16 specialist medical colleges
- improve transparency and clarity for health services in relation to expectations around accreditation
- build trust and improve quality assurance in medical education by ensuring stakeholders have confidence in the system
- foster improved collaboration between colleges and health services
- improve data and reporting about accreditation.
Timelines
ACEM aim to implement model standards and procedures by February 2027. Significant work is already underway to prepare for this, which is guided by the ACEM AMC Model Standards Working Group. Key milestones will be met in the leadup to February 2027 to introduce elements of the standardised approach to key stakeholders involved in training site accreditation. ACEM will be in regular contact with key stakeholders as this progresses.
Key information and documentation
Implications for training sites
The revised standards for site accreditation will change the way ACEM accredited training sites are reviewed from 2027 onwards. Training sites will remain accredited under the current standards until their next scheduled accreditation inspection post-2027 after which the revised standards will apply.
The criteria by which accreditation decisions are made may change meaning sites may need to demonstrate their capacity to facilitate specialist training in emergency medicine is different to what has been done previously. The revised standards introduce additional flexibility for sites to demonstrate how they meet standards compared to ACEM’s current approach to accreditation.
In the leadup to implementation of the revised standards, the College will regularly communicate updates and provide education to training site representatives on the transition from current approaches to accreditation to the revised standards. Further information on this will be provided in the coming months.
The College encourages training site representatives to review the key information and documents provided on this page and check back regularly for updates.
Implications for trainees
The revised accreditation standards are designed to support greater access to accredited training sites, which in turn will expand opportunities for trainee placements across a broader range of settings. By streamlining and strengthening accreditation processes, the College aims to increase opportunities for sites to achieve and maintain accreditation, thereby increasing the availability and diversity of training environments.
As part of this work, key details relating to the classification of training sites are also being reviewed. These changes may influence the types of training experiences available to trainees in the future and the way placements are structured across different settings.
The College encourages trainees to stay informed by reviewing the information provided on this page and checking back regularly for updates as the revised standards are finalised and implemented.
Contact
If you have any further questions about the introduction of the AMC Models Standards and Procedures for training site accreditation, please contact [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
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What are college specific requirements?
Within the new model accreditation standards, the following hierarchy is used:
- Domain – The type of matters addressed by the standards.
- Standard – The outcome that must be achieved at the training setting.
- Criterion – The measurable component of a standard.
- College-specific requirements (optional) – Requirements that are specific to each college and training program that supplement a criterion (e.g. specific equipment needs).
It is recognised that individual colleges may have requirements specific to their specialty that are unique to them and essential to measure as part of the accreditation process. College-specific requirements will be developed by each college in conjunction with the AMC project team. They will be subject to consultation with jurisdictions (including New Zealand) and approved by the AMC. In order to be approved as college-specific requirements, a requirement must be unique to the college/training program (or to a small number of colleges/training programs) and not merely supplement existing standards. College-specific requirements are optional – it is anticipated that not all colleges will need them. Guidance on the content of college-specific requirements will be finalised and published to guide colleges in this process.
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What are the benefits of a standardised approach to accreditation?
- Reduced duplication of effort across colleges, removing the need for 16 different organisational approaches to updating, maintaining and consulting on accreditation standards.
- Improved collaboration and cooperation between colleges and health services to address issues impacting accreditation, including a better understanding of roles and responsibilities.
- Improved flexibility for health services in how they might demonstrate delivery of quality training, through a focus on outcome-based accreditation standards and a reduction in prescriptive requirements that can create barriers to accreditation for rural and regional settings.
- Improved consistency and fairness in accreditation outcomes with decisions being made using a common risk framework, reducing variability across colleges and providing improved clarity for health services as to what their accreditation status means.
- Consistent application of procedural fairness arrangements promoting early collaboration when issues are identified.
- Reduced administrative burden for health services, who currently have to navigate and respond to multiple different college accreditation standards and processes
- Improved clarity on accreditation expectations and processes allowing health services to more adequately prepare for and respond to accreditation assessments.
- Improved access to data to support comparative analysis of accreditation across colleges and health services to inform continuous improvement initiatives.
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When will the standardised accreditation approach be rolled out?
It is anticipated that ACEM will be using the model standards by February 2027. Compliance with procedural fairness requirements and use of the risk framework and common terminology will occur earlier.
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Will existing settings need to transition immediately to the new standards?
No. Existing settings will continue to be accredited under the current standards until their next scheduled reaccreditation.
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Will existing conditions still apply once the new standards are introduced?
Yes. Most existing conditions will remain relevant, as there is strong alignment between the current college standards and the new standards.
If a setting does not meet a requirement that is part of the new standards (but not the current ones), this will be recorded as a recommendation rather than a condition, to indicate the direction of expected future compliance.
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How does the standardised accreditation approach support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and Māori communities?
A core component of the standardised accreditation approach is focused on promoting cultural safety in medical education. The model standards include requirements for training settings to demonstrate how they support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and Māori trainees, as well as support non-Indigenous trainees to develop the capabilities to provide specialist care that is regarded as culturally safe by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and Māori communities.
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Many colleges are bi-national. Do the changes also cover Aotearoa New Zealand?
Yes, Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa| Medical Council of New Zealand and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora are represented on the Project Governance Group, and Aotearoa New Zealand health services have been part of the consultation process in shaping the model standards and procedures to ensure they are fit for the diverse health settings across both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
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What does the standardised accreditation approach mean for trainees and supervisors?
The standardised accreditation approach focuses on ensuring quality medical education and protecting the wellbeing of trainees and supervisors. It will help to maintain and improve the quality of training whilst providing flexibility for training settings to demonstrate quality training.
Trainees and supervisors may notice some changes in the college surveys they complete and the ways ACEM collects accreditation evidence, reflecting alignment with the new model standards. Accreditation monitoring arrangements are also being strengthened to ensure training settings continue to meet the accreditation standards throughout the accreditation cycle.
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What does the standardised accreditation approach mean for training settings and health services?
The standards against which training settings within health services are accredited or reaccredited will change to the new model standards. Mapping work has identified that the model standards have a high alignment with existing college standards and so there should not be a substantively greater effort required by training settings to meet the new standards.
ACEM will inform training settings of the date from which they will be implementing the model standards. Training settings may also see changes in accreditation procedures, such as an updated application form and updated information about what evidence they need to provide. Over time, training settings will also see colleges using the same accreditation terminology for assessing standards and accreditation decisions, and settings will be given the opportunity to respond to draft accreditation decisions prior to them being finalised. It is intended that implementation of the standardised accreditation approach will reduce administrative burden and streamline accreditation processes for health services.