Recertification requirements for the general scope

Inpractice programme

Doctors who are registered in the General scope of practice must (with some exceptions) participate in Council's approved recertification programme called 'Inpractice'. This programme is administered by the Best Practice Advocacy Centre (bpacnz), which also monitors doctors' compliance with the programme requirements. A key requirement of the programme for doctors is that they maintain a Collegial Relationship.

Council may require you to provide evidence of enrolment in and participation in the Inpractice programme.

There are some exceptions to the requirement to participate in the Inpractice recertification programme.

• Inpractice

  Inpractice is a recertification programme for doctors registered in a general scope of practice administered by the Best Practice Advocacy Centre New Zealand (bpacNZ). bpacNZ is an independent, not-for-profit organisation delivering educational and continuing professional development programmes to medical practitioners and health professional groups throughout New Zealand.

When you don't need to participate in the Inpractice programme

Doctors in PGY2, with an endorsement on their practising certificates

If you are in PGY2, and have an endorsement on your practising certificate, you must establish an acceptable professional development plan (PDP) to be completed during PGY2, and you must work in Council-accredited clinical attachments. You are not required to participate in the Inpractice programme.

Doctors participating in a vocational training programme accredited by Council

Council considers your training programme as satisfying Council's recertification programme requirements. You are not required to participate in the Inpractice programme.

Doctors whose scope of practice is limited to non-clinical practice, and whose practice is assessed as ‘low risk of harm’

If Council has approved your scope of practice as limited to non-clinical practise you may be eligible to be exempt from the requirements of the Inpractice programme. Council's Registrar will make that decision on the advice of Council's Medical Advisor.

The Medical Advisor will review your non-clinical practice and assess the level of potential risk of harm that your practice might pose. If your non-clinical practice is considered to be ‘low risk’, you may not have to participate in the Inpractice recertification programme provided by bpacnz. You must, however, have a collegial relationship.

If the potential risk of harm is considered to be medium or high, then you must continue to participate in the Inpractice recertification programme.

Doctors who are also registered in a vocational scope of practice

Council requires you to participate in an accredited vocational recertification programme for your vocational scope. Read more about recertification programmes. While you do so, you are not required to participate in the Inpractice programme.

Please note that if you are also working within your General scope of practice in another area of medicine you must have a collegial relationship for the area of medicine in which you are working.

Medical Officers employed solely by a district health board

If you are a medical officer employed solely by a DHB, you may be exempt from the Inpractice programme if you were enrolled in the approved accredited recertification programmes prior to 14 March 2012 and the following requirements are met.

You must:

• be permanently employed as a Medical Officer and employed solely in a public hospital;
• be undertaking both credentialling and professional development reviews annually, overseen by the Chief Medical Officer;
• be participating in either the ANZCA or RACP accredited recertification programme; and
• have been enrolled in the programme prior to 14 March 2012