Background
In 2023, the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) undertook a review of specialist medical college policies, procedures, and practices for accreditation of specialist training settings and published the report, “Processes for progress – Part one: A roadmap for greater transparency and accountability in specialist medical training site accreditation, October 2023.” The NHPO made a series of recommendations to improve how training settings are accredited across all 16 specialist medical colleges.
Colleges, jurisdictional health departments, and the Australian Medical Council (AMC) have collaborated to implement the NHPO’s recommendations, resulting in the development of a common set of accreditation standards and procedures.
Implementation of the NHPO recommendations is a mandatory requirement for all colleges, and ANZCA and FPM are taking the necessary steps to ensure their implementation. The college welcomes these changes and recognises the significant benefits for training settings.
For further information, read the AMC’s key messages on the standardised accreditation approach or visit the AMC’s “Specialist medical college accreditation of training sites” webpage.
Accreditation standards: What is changing?
From 2027, anaesthesia, pain medicine and rural generalist anaesthesia training settings will be accredited against the AMC standards (and college-specific requirements). Training settings scheduled for accreditation or reaccreditation in 2026 will be assessed against the current ANZCA, FPM and RGA standards.
The AMC standards are categorised into four domains, outlined below, and provide a consistent framework for accreditation across specialist medical colleges, while allowing for college-specific requirements to reflect the unique needs of each speciality (refer to FAQs for further information on college-specific requirements).
While there is strong alignment between the current ANZCA, FPM and RGA accreditation standards and the AMC standards, training settings can expect some changes to the evidence required to demonstrate compliance and the pre-visit self-assessment.
Domain 1: Trainee health and welfare
- Training takes place in a learning environment that supports trainee health and welfare.
Domain 2: Supervision, management and support structures
- Clear governance structures support the delivery of effective education and training.
- Trainees receive appropriate and effective supervision.
- Trainees are supported in delivering quality patient care, including culturally safe care.
Domain 3: Educational and clinical training opportunities
- Trainees are provided with the appropriate depth, volume and variety of clinical and other learning experiences.
- Learning opportunities are transparent, equitable and appropriate for the level of training.
Domain 4: Educational resources, facilities and equipment
- Trainees have access to appropriate educational resources and facilities.
- Trainees have access to appropriate clinical equipment.
A draft version of the accreditation standards document can be downloaded here.
Training settings are advised that, once the proposed college-specific requirements have been approved by the AMC Specialist Education Accreditation Committee, this document will be updated and published. The college is developing a guidance document outlining the types of evidence that training settings may provide to demonstrate compliance with each of the standards and criteria. It’s anticipated that this document will be released alongside the finalised accreditation standards document.
Accreditation procedures: What is changing?
New and strengthened procedural practices are being introduced to support a fair, transparent, and consistent approach to training setting accreditation.
These changes will reduce the administrative burden on training providers. The improved clarity on accreditation expectations will help training providers better prepare for and respond to accreditation site visits.
While 2027 marks the formal implementation of the AMC standards and procedures, there are some new procedural elements that were introduced in 2026 – these are outlined below.
| Key changes | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1. | New accreditation handbook detailing the accreditation process, including how training settings are assessed, who is involved, and how compliance with accreditation standards is monitored throughout the cycle. Refined “Accreditation outcome report” outlining the assessment outcome against each criterion for training settings. |
| 2026 | 2. | Embedding of procedural fairness in the accreditation process – training settings have the right to respond to draft accreditation findings before a final decision is made. |
| 3. | Adoption of AMC’s risk-based framework for accreditation decision-making, ensuring decisions are proportionate and based on risk. | |
| 4. | Adoption of AMC’s common accreditation terminology – providing a standardised language for accreditation decisions and outcomes. |
Implementation roadmap
September 2025 March 2026 | AMC model standards and procedures Endorsed by Australian health ministers. Endorsed by Medical Council of New Zealand. |
| January 2026 | Adoption of AMC mandated procedural elements
|
May 2026 ~August 2026 | College-specific requirements Formal submission of anaesthesia and pain medicine proposals to AMC. Outcome of AMC Specialist Education Accreditation Committee review expected. |
| June – December 2026 | Preparation for transition The college is developing a suite of resource materials to support training settings in their transition to the new accreditation standards. These resources will be released progressively throughout 2026 to ensure training settings have sufficient time to prepare for their accreditation cycles. Specific resource materials are being developed for accreditation teams, with training planned for later this year. The college will circulate project updates through various communication channels and governance groups to socialise changes to the training settings accreditation standards and procedures. |
| January 2027 | Implementation of AMC standards and procedures
|
| 2027 | Training setting support The college will support training settings scheduled for an accreditation site visit in 2027. |
Governance
The Accreditation Renewal Steering Group (ARSG) will play a pivotal role in the development, refinement, and implementation of best practices in the accreditation process. ARSG will report to the ANZCA Education Executive Management Committee, FPM Training and Assessment Executive Committee, and ANZCA Council.
Frequently asked questions
Mapping work has demonstrated a strong alignment between the current college standards and the new standards.
One of the many positive changes accompanying the transition to the AMC standards is an increased emphasis on promoting cultural safety within medical education. Training settings will be required to demonstrate how they support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and Māori trainees, as well as support non-Indigenous trainees to develop the capabilities to provide specialist care that is regarded as culturally safe by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and Māori communities.
College-specific requirements are additional accreditation requirements developed by individual colleges to reflect the unique requirements of their specialty or training program.
These requirements must:
• Be developed in consultation with all jurisdictions (including New Zealand).
• Be approved by the AMC Specialist Education Accreditation Committee.
In short, these are specialty-specific accreditation standards that apply where a college has identified a need for requirements beyond the general standards to ensure trainees achieve the training program outcomes.
Yes. Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand and Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand are represented on the AMC Project Governance Group. Aotearoa New Zealand health services have been part of the consultation process to shape the model standards and procedures, ensuring they are fit for the diverse health settings across both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The AMC standards and procedures were formally endorsed by the Medical Council of New Zealand in March 2026.
Project updates
In May 2026, ANZCA and FPM submitted their proposed college-specific requirements for the anaesthesia and pain medicine training programs to the AMC, formally commencing the approval process.
The proposed requirements were developed by the Accreditation Renewal Steering Group and subsequently reviewed and endorsed by:
- The ANZCA Education Executive Management Committee (EEMC) and ANZCA Council.
- The FPM Training and Assessment Executive Committee (TAEC) and FPM Board.
The proposed requirements will now be reviewed by all Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions. Following this consultation, they will be considered for final approval by the AMC Specialist Education Accreditation Committee (SEAC).
The outcome of the AMC SEAC review is anticipated in late August 2026.
Further information
For any questions, please contact the project manager for accreditation standards.