Australia RACGP Standards for After-hours and Medical Deputising Services (5th edition) C5.1: Diagnosis and management of health issues: the clinical team can reach current clinical and other guidelines that help diagnose and manage patients, and the service supports consistency in diagnosis and management across its clinicians

What does C5.1 require?

Clinicians working alone at night need good references to hand. The service gives its clinicians access, at the point of care including in the car, to current evidence-based guidelines such as Therapeutic Guidelines, the Australian Medicines Handbook and local HealthPathways. It supports consistent practice through clinical protocols for common after-hours presentations, clinical meetings or online forums, peer review of records and discussion of variation, so care does not depend on which practitioner attends.