Updating surgical standards

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is proud to present the third edition of the Surgical Competence and Performance Guide. We have revised the guide to reflect the standards we hold as a profession and our commitment to the community to deliver high-quality, patient-centred surgical care. The guide provides a framework to aid the assessment and development of surgeons across all areas of surgical practice. In delivering safe, effective and timely surgical services, patient-centred care is central to the Surgical Competence and Performance Framework. The introduction of a tenth competency – cultural competence and cultural safety – prioritises the importance of understanding the individual, social and cultural needs of our patients to ensure they are the focus of our interactions. Underpinned by the principle of shared decision making, this competency challenges surgeons to use the privileged position they hold within society to address health inequities and improve health outcomes with an emphasis on working in partnership with our Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand. The updates in the revised guide include additional emphasis on patient-centred care and shared decision making, addressing discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment, and highlight the surgeon’s role in supporting health care sustainability. All Fellows are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the updated surgical competencies. If you have any questions or feedback please contact the Professional Standards team at Professional.Standards@surgeons.org

The Surgical Competence and Performance Guide can be found online by going to surgeons.org and searching for ‘Updated Surgical Competence and Performance Guide’ in the top right search bar.