Why this matters for your practice
Not all parts of the RACGP Standards carry equal weight at accreditation. The Standards are built from criteria and indicators, and a subset of those indicators are flagged as mandatory. The distinction is decisive: you can pass an assessment while still improving on some non-mandatory items, but you cannot be accredited if you fail even one mandatory indicator. They are the non-negotiable safety and governance items, often covering things like infection control, emergency response, the privacy of health information, and clinical safety.
Knowing which indicators are mandatory tells you where a gap is fatal to accreditation versus where it is simply an area to develop.
How the Standards are structured
The RACGP Standards are organised into criteria, each with indicators that describe what an assessor expects to see. Indicators are either:
- Mandatory, which must be met for accreditation, or
- Non-mandatory, which contribute to quality but will not, on their own, stop accreditation.
Mandatory indicators concentrate on the areas where a failure poses the greatest risk to patients or to the integrity of the practice's systems.
What this means for preparation
- Triage your self-assessment so mandatory indicators are green first. A common approach is a traffic-light rating (green, amber, red) with red mandatory items treated as urgent.
- A single unaddressed mandatory indicator can delay accreditation regardless of how strong the rest of your evidence is.
- Mandatory items often need evidence over time, such as records of drills, audits, or reviews, which cannot be produced retrospectively.
Common mistakes
- Spreading effort evenly instead of securing mandatory indicators first.
- Leaving evidence-over-time items late, when they cannot be back-dated.
- Assuming a strong overall submission compensates for a failed mandatory indicator. It does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a mandatory indicator in the RACGP Standards?
A mandatory indicator is an item in the RACGP Standards that a practice must meet to be accredited. Failing a single mandatory indicator prevents accreditation until it is fixed, whereas non-mandatory indicators support quality but will not on their own stop accreditation.
What happens if I fail a mandatory indicator?
If a practice does not meet a mandatory indicator, it cannot be accredited until the gap is rectified and the evidence is in place. This is true even if the rest of the practice's submission is strong, which is why mandatory items are prioritised in preparation.
How do I know which indicators are mandatory?
The RACGP Standards identify which indicators are mandatory. A structured self-assessment against the Standards, often using a traffic-light rating, will flag each mandatory indicator so you can confirm it is met with evidence before your assessment.
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