The College’s Quality framework is made up of two programmes – Foundation and Cornerstone.

The new Cornerstone programme is modular giving practices options and we’ve introduced accreditation levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Practices will need to complete two core modules - Equity and Continuous Quality Improvement, to maintain or be awarded Cornerstone Bronze accreditation. Practices can build on this, completing further modules to reach Silver or Gold status.

Purchasing a module

The Cornerstone Equity and Continuous Quality Improvement modules are available for purchase now. 

To purchase a module, please click the practice administration button below. Login details have been sent to the primary contact of each practice. If you need a reminder, please email quality@rnzcgp.org.nz

Cornerstone modules 

Cornerstone Continuous Quality Improvement module

The Cornerstone Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) module allows practices to demonstrate their work towards improving health outcomes. The CQI module asks practices to identify an area of improvement in their work and apply a structured quality improvement model (such as a PDSA cycle) to track progress. The project must have an equity focus (i.e. working toward health equity outcomes). The practice would need to compile a final report describing the project, the progress/findings, and next steps.

Read more about the CQI Module

Cornerstone Equity module

The Cornerstone Equity module builds upon the equity work completed in the Foundation Standard and provides the next set of steps toward delivering sustainable health equity outcomes. The Equity module focuses on four areas where pro-equity elements need to be developed in order to achieve equitable health outcomes across general practices:

1. Practice team: Includes indicators/criteria related to health equity training, bias and cultural competency and safety training, ensuring a culturally safe experiences/services for patients, etc
2. Organisation and leadership: Includes indicators and criteria that will assist practices to embed health equity elements into their governance and management
3. Service development and delivery: Includes indicators and criteria around community collaborations, creating inclusive and culturally safe environments, collecting and maintaining up to date quantitative and qualitative data to inform and promote health equity outcomes
4. Workforce: Includes indicators and criteria to ensure systems and processes are in place to actively recruit, develop and retain practice team members who support pro-equity values 

Cornerstone Teaching module

The College’s Cornerstone Teaching module has been suspended for the rest of 2021. Feedback obtained from practices and GP teachers indicated that the Teaching module and its requirements needed further review. 

The College is currently reviewing the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP) curriculum, so it makes sense to re-evaluate the Teaching module at the same time, and to align it to a new curriculum starting in 2022.  Practices that have proven expertise in hosting GP registrars, or that have an experienced GPEP teacher will not be disadvantaged by the suspension of the Teaching module. They will still be eligible for consideration or a GPEP registrar placement for the second half of 2021 or first half of 2022. 

Suspending the Teaching module doesn’t affect the rigour of the College’s medical education programmes. The College ensures all GPs who are Medical Educators have completed the teacher accreditation process, which confirms they understand the curriculum and are competent in teaching it. 

This decision does not impact the other Cornerstone Quality modules of CQI and Equity. It is also important to note that Foundation Standard certification together with Equity and CQI module accreditation is still a requirement for hosting a GPEP1 registrar for all practices.