Local patients can rest assured they are receiving the highest quality service and care at the local medical practice following another glowing report from a leading accreditation service.
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The Scone Medical Practice has recently received its results from the Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) accreditation program, which highlighted the top accreditation honour.
The service, which is manned by practice manager Ross Higham with 14 doctors, 10 administration staff and eight nursing staff, came under the spotlight earlier in the year when audited by an independent doctor and practice manager.
The AGPAL accreditation program is a voluntary national program, backed by the Australian Medical Association, to provide a range of guarantees to patients by accrediting the practice environment with focus on quality and safety.
Scone Medical Practice is operated following the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Standards for General Practices and has been accredited in the past.
AGPAL chair Dr Richard Choong said the accreditation award shows that the practice makes a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down.
“Achieving accreditation is a major achievement for any practice and it is a clear demonstration that Scone Medical Practice is seeking to improve their level of service to both patients and the community,” he said.
Standards to be met include ensuring vaccines are within their use by date and stored at the correct temperatures, equipment is clean and sterile, the availability of emergency care, good medical care and appropriate referrals to specialists.
Mr Higham said one of the most crucial things the practice offers is after hours care and patient safety, which is why the staff always ask patients for their identification on each visit.
These two key areas are where the practice excelled.
“We are proud to continue to maintain a high level of care for the patients of the community.
“We do this by having the facility, equipment and doctors to provide good quality care to patients,” Mr Higham said.
“The accreditation result is a reflection of the quality of the medical, nursing and administration staff we have,” he said.
“We want to communicate to our patients their well-being is our priority.
“By being accredited, our patients know we are committed to providing quality care that meets the RACGP’s standards.”
