The quality standard specialist practices have been missing.
Specialist practices have no equivalent of the RACGP Standards. The SPQF changes that - eight domains, practical indicators, and a self-assessment you can start today.
Free. Open source. No registration required.
Eight Quality Domains
Together, they cover the full scope of running a safe, effective, and well-managed specialist medical practice.
Clinical Governance
We have clear accountability for the safety and quality of care in our practice.
Patient Safety
We identify and manage risks to patient safety before they cause harm.
Clinical Effectiveness
We provide evidence-based care and monitor our clinical outcomes.
Patient Experience
We treat every patient with dignity and respect, and we listen to their feedback.
Information Governance
We manage patient information securely and in accordance with our legal obligations.
Workforce
Our team has the qualifications, skills, and support to deliver safe, high-quality care.
Environment
Our physical and digital environment supports safe care and a positive experience.
Continuous Improvement
We actively seek to improve what we do and can demonstrate progress over time.
Why this framework exists
General practices have had the RACGP Standards and a well-established accreditation pathway for over 30 years. Specialist medical practices have nothing equivalent. There is no mandatory practice-level accreditation, no agreed quality benchmark, and no widely recognised framework for how a specialist practice should be run.
This framework changes that. It gives specialist medical practices a clear, practical benchmark for quality and safety - one designed specifically for the way specialist practices operate, not adapted from hospital standards or borrowed from general practice.
Learn more about the SPQFHow it works
Self-assess
Work through each domain. For each indicator, record whether your practice meets it, partially meets it, or has a gap.
Prioritise
Identify the highest-risk gaps and the quick wins. Build a realistic improvement plan with timelines and responsibilities.
Implement
Make the changes, update your policies, train your team, and collect the evidence.
Review
Revisit your self-assessment annually. Quality is not a destination - it is a cycle.
Want the tools to implement the SPQF?
The SPQF tells you what good looks like. Clinically Ready gives you the tools to get there and stay there - policies, audit tools, registers, and improvement plans, built on the eight SPQF domains.
Learn about Clinically Ready