New Accreditation Standards
RANZCO’s new accreditation framework was approved by the Board in March 2026, aiming to improve consistency, transparency, fairness, governance, and monitoring across accreditation activities.
The changes follow national reform after the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) review of specialist medical college accreditation, with recommendations endorsed by Australian Health Ministers and implemented collaboratively by colleges, health departments, and the Australian Medical Council (AMC), including a Communication Protocol.
At RANZCO, the revised standards, policies, and processes were developed through workshops and committee consultation during 2025 before Board approval in March 2026.
RANZCO now has two accreditation pages
Use the links below for information about the current and revised accreditation frameworks, including transition guidance and supporting resources.
Use the existing accreditation page if you need:
- current accreditation requirements
- current accreditation processes
- information that applies before 2027
- annual accreditation schedule
Use this revised accreditation page if you need:
- information about the updated accreditation framework
- the revised standards, procedures and policy
- transition information and preparation for 2027
Important: The existing accreditation page will remain active until 2027. It will then be retired once the revised accreditation framework becomes the current framework.
Key dates and transition
RANZCO will pilot the revised accreditation framework in New Zealand’s North Island in September 2026, ahead of full implementation in February 2027 to align with the new training year. The pilot aligns with the existing inspection cycle, with North Island inspections already scheduled for 2026. Networks are inspected in groups to manage workload and travel, and the forward inspection schedule was published in 2024.
- September 2026 – Pilot of the revised accreditation framework begins.
- February 2027 – Revised accreditation framework commences.
- Until 2027 – Existing accreditation page remains active for current information.
- From 2027 – Revised framework becomes current, and the existing page is retired.
RANZCO will provide guidance and support before implementation. Updated documents, templates and guidance should be used from the commencement date.
Need more detail?
Contact us
For questions, please contact accreditation@ranzco.edu