How to Start Your Document Control Process Before the 6th Edition Hits

How to Start Your Document Control Process Before the 6th Edition Hits

With the RACGP 6th Edition Standards set for release next year, many practices are turning their attention to a topic that’s often overlooked until it becomes urgent: document control.

The new edition of the Standards will place greater emphasis on managing operational documents in a way that is consistent, current, and accessible to the whole team. For many practices, this represents a significant shift in administrative practice. It’s no longer enough to have a dusty policy folder on a shelf or an outdated document saved somewhere on the office desktop. The expectation is moving toward structured, trackable systems that support safe, team-led care.

So, how do you get started?

Step 1: Take Stock

Begin by identifying what documents you currently have: policies, procedures, forms, protocols, registers, checklists, handbooks, guides. Don’t worry about perfection; this is a first sweep. Map out where they’re stored, who updates them, and how often they’re reviewed. If you find any duplicate copies, keep the best one and archive the others.

This creates your document inventory, and it’s your foundation for everything that follows.

Step 2: Assign Ownership

Every document should have a clearly defined document owner – someone responsible for ensuring it stays current, accurate, and relevant. In larger teams, this might be the practice manager or a clinical lead. In smaller practices, it may fall to a designated “champion” for areas like infection control or emergency planning.

Assigning ownership builds accountability and reduces the risk of outdated content floating around unchallenged.

Step 3: Establish Version Control

You don’t need fancy software to implement version control. Even a shared folder with naming conventions like “Infection_Control_Policy_v2.1_2024” is a step in the right direction. Just make sure each document includes:

• A version number
• A last updated date
• The author or approver
• A review cycle or due date

This helps your team (and surveyors) verify that the document is current and purposeful.

Step 4: Make It Accessible

Your policies won’t support clinical safety or accreditation if they’re locked in one person’s inbox or buried in a rarely used drive. Make sure your controlled documents are stored in a central, easily accessible location; ideally a shared online folder, intranet or practice management system.

Ensure staff know where to find them, how to use them, and how to report issues or suggest changes.

At QIP Consulting, we’re already supporting clients to prepare through practical document control frameworks and tailored policy reviews. Whether you need help creating an inventory, rolling out version control, or linking documents to real workflows, we can help embed document governance that works in practice, not just on paper.

Want to get ahead of the 6th Edition Standards? Let’s build your document control process together.