The RANZCP is updating its accreditation standards for both fellowship training programs and training posts. These changes will ensure the College aligns with the Australian Medical Councils’ (AMC) new model standards and model procedures, which all specialist medical education colleges are required to implement and follow. 

College staff are working on updating all relevant documents (policies, procedures, forms, reporting templates etc). Consultation with partnership committees is currently being undertaken, and the project work is being overseen by the Accreditation Committee and the Education Committee. Training materials will be developed and a training schedule established. It is anticipated that training will commence in January 2026, with the go-live date for training program accreditations expected to commence mid-2026. Training post accreditations will go-live by the end of 2026.

These changes will mostly impact those who are involved directly as panel members when conducting accreditation assessments of training programs and/or posts, and Directors of Training. More broadly, health services will need to know the new standards they are required to meet. But the good news for health services is that the standards will be the same for all specialist medical colleges, so will be more standardised.

To read more about why the AMC standards are changing, visit the AMC website: Implementation of Ministerial Policy Direction 2023-01 and the recommendations of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman’s report.

Further updates and progress will continue to be communicated. In the meantime, any questions can be directed to the accreditation team via email on accreditation@ranzcp.org.