2025 Updates

2025 Updates

In This Section

December 2025

Current Topic	Change
IPC at our Practice	Policy updated to align with AS 5369:2023. IPC lead responsibilities moved into a drop-box, bulleted list updated and clinical governance added.
Blood or Body Fluid Exposure	Minor edits made to this policy.
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sterilising RMDs	Policy updated and restructured to align with AS 5369:2023 New section on team participation. Information about a risk based approach added. Section on decontamination renamed from cleaning, and restructured. New sub-section on disinfection. Information about maintaining the autoclave expanded. Steriilisation and monitoring sections updated.
Decontaminating Specific Items	Policy renamed from Cleaning Specific Items, to reflect all possible parts of the cycle, not just cleaning.
Cleaning the Practice	Minor edits made to this policy. Linen and laundry removed from this policy and key information added to Standard Precautions.
Managing Infectious Patients	Minor edits made to this policy.
Notifiable Diseases	Minor edits made to this policy.
Sharps Safety	Minor restructuring and editing to this policy.
Staff Health and Immunity	Acute respiratory infection return-to-work guidance added to resources section.
Standard Precautions	Minor updates to information listed for hand hygiene, sharps safety, linen and laundry.
Waste Management	Information about controlled waste category in drop-box expanded. Text describing controlled waste bin/bag/container in table updated.
Contractors Working on Site	Page updated to have a stronger focus on contractor responsibilities for health and safety. The contractor form has been updated to covers contractor confidentiality as well as health and safety.
Support People, Chaperones, and Observers	Information has been added to this page about situations where the practice requires a chaperone to be present for patients where there are concerns about safety.
Medicine Reconciliation	Updated to indicate medicine reconciliation to be carried out within 7 calendar days, to align with updated RNZCGP guidance.

November 2025

Current Topic	Change
Incidents	Definition of incidents amended following new RNZCGP adverse events guidance: Incidents are defined as health and safety events, e.g. staff injuries, equipment hazards etc. Near misses that take place during the provision of health care are categorised as adverse events and should be managed following the adverse events policy.
CCTV Monitoring	Policy strengthened and restructured.
Smokefree and Vapefree Workplace	Policy updated and renamed to include vaping.
Medicine Stock	Minor edits made to this page.

October 2025

Current Topic	Change
Induction and Orientation	Added "Vaccination records requested" into induction checklists. Record in notes field if staff member declines to provide records.
Aggressive Behaviour	Policy renamed and minor edits made.
Hazardous Substances	Edited for clarity and readability. Extra resources added.
Vehicles and Driving	Minor edits and updates made to this policy.
Breast Screening	Breast screening age updated to 74 to reflect eligibility change.

September 2025

Current Topic	Change
Standing Orders	Policy updated to reflect recent advice from Immunisation Advisory Centre: Authorised vaccinators administering post-anaphylaxis adrenaline require a prescription or standing order.
Health and Safety	Policy rewritten to clarify the health and safety responsibilities of each kind of duty holder, and enable practices to list everyone who has health and safety responsibilities.
Hazard and Risk Management	Policy has been updated and includes additional definitions and explanations.
Health and Safety Training and Induction	New policy describing the PCBU's responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that all workers (including employees, contractors, and visitors) receive a induction that enables them to carry out their work safely.
Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation	New policy that describes the practice's obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to ensure workers have opportunities to participate in health and safety matters, and their obligation to support worker representation.
Incidents	Policy updated to address the practice's responsibility for managing workplace incidents under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Events that involve harm or potential harm to a patient as the result of healthcare are no longer part of this policy. This policy now includes the process for reporting workplace incidents that was previously on the Managing and Reporting Incidents page. That page will be retired at rollout.
Lone Workers	Minor edits and updates made to this policy.
Bullying, Discrimination, and Harassment	Policy edited, updated and expanded.
Stress and Wellbeing	Policy edited, updated and expanded. More information added regarding health and safety factors drop-box.
Work-Related Pain and Discomfort	Page retired: Any relevant information has been moved to Hazard and Risks Management.
Managing and Reporting Incidents	Page retired: Relevant content is being moved to the updated Incidents policy, and to Adverse Events.
Health and Safety at Work Act	Page retired: Relevant content is being moved to the new Health and Safety policy.
Due Diligence	Page retired: Relevant content is being moved to the updated Health and Safety page.
Primary Duty of Care	Page retired: Relevant content is being moved to the updated Health and Safety page.
Health and Safety in Our Practice	Page retired: Relevant content is being moved to the updated Health and Safety page.

August 2025

Current Topic	Change
Appointment to Discuss a Family Member	Page removed. The new page Unsolicited Third-Party Information provides guidance about handling information offered by someone other than the patient.
Controlled Drug Stock	Policy strengthened to align with best practice guidance. Paragraph on controlled drug pads moved to Controlled Drug Prescriptions page.
Controlled Drug Prescriptions	Policy edited, restructured, and updated for improved clarity and consistency.
Standing Orders	Policy edited, restructured, and updated for improved clarity. Information about regulated and non-regulated health professions added.
Electronic Communication	Minor edits and updates
Staff and Family Enrolment	Minor edits and updates

July 2025

Current Topic	Change
Medicine Misuse	Policy updated and renamed (from Drug Misuse) to align with recent best-practice guidance. Section on detecting abuse updated. New section on substance abuse disorders.

June 2025

Current Topic	Change
Medicine Reconciliation	Timelines as indicated by RNZCGP included. Prescriber drop-box replaced with healthcare practitioner to reflect scope of those involved in medicine reconciliation process. Reporting and audit process strengthened.
Foundation Training	Indicator 6 updated to reflect that from 1 June 2025 RNZCGP endorsed ACLS courses must have a minimum of 6 hours face-to-face contact time.

May 2025

Current Topic	Change
Generative AI	Extra resources about setting up AI added
Prescriptions	Minor edits and updates to this page. New resource link added.
Repeat Prescriptions	Page edited for clarity and readability.
Internet, Email, and Electronic Devices	Page edited and expanded on for clarity.
Unsolicited Third-party Information	This new policy covers what to do in the case of receiving unsolicited information from a third party.

April 2025

Current Topic	Change
Immunisation	Sentence added to include reporting on incidents not related to adverse reactions (for example, incorrect timing or vaccine double-up).
Patient Portal*	Section added, with link to RNZCGP guidance covering portal access for children/young people. * Optional page: If the link isn't working you may not have the page on your site.
Enrolment	Section and links added to cover Newborn Enrolment requirements.

March 2025

Current Topic	Change
Care Planning	Page renamed from Care Plans. Policy edited for clarity and to incorporate aspects of patient-centred, continuity of care. North Island practices will continue to use a version that doesn't refer to HealthOne.
IT Security	Link to IT checklist updated to go point to a new version, released by RNZCGP.
Medicine Reconciliation	Timeframes updated to align with recent RNZCGP Foundation updates: medicine reconciliation timeframe changed from within 2-3 days to within 7 days, and auditing at least annually.

February 2025

Current Topic	Change
Continuing Professional Development	Page edited to draw clearer distinctions between CPD and CME. Section on gaining credentials moved to third page from Credentialling.
Credentialling	Page edited for clarity and readability. Practising certificates added as a section – was previously a separate page. Information on gaining additional credits moved into the Draft Professional Development page.
Performance Reviews	Page edited for clarity and readability.
Patient Experience	Policy updated to reflect that feedback helps understanding of patient experiences and is part of identifying inequities or barriers to service. New section on clinical governance reflecting how feedback can be used to drive quality improvement initiatives.
Hazardous substances	Updated to align with recent updates from RNZCGP, indicator 13.2. Practices should create one inventory using the WorkSafe hazardous substances calculator, and another listing any other hazardous substances held at the practice. Both inventories need to be added to the hazard and risks register, and be accessible to emergency services.

January 2025

Current Topic	Change
Shared Electronic Health Record (South Island practices only)	Page edited to improve clarity and readability.
Evacuation	Note added indicating that records of trials and debriefs for the previous 18 months are retained, as this is now a Foundation requirement. Link to relevant information and resources on new FENZ website updated.
Repeat Prescriptions	Note added to audit section, reflecting the RNZCGP guidance that if an audit reveals instances where the policy and procedures are not being adhered to, improvements actions should carried out, followed by and another audit.
Clinical Governance	A note added following updated advice from RNZCGP. HQSC have updated their high-level clinical governance framework but RNZCGP advise that general practices should continue to use the 2017 guidelines while they work with HQSC on a transition to the 2024 guidance.