Nothing about accreditation requires it to be a scramble. The evidence accumulates naturally across the cycle - the problem is that it accumulates in folders, inboxes and somebody's memory rather than against the indicators it belongs to.
Across the cycle
- Straight after a survey - close anything the surveyor raised while it is fresh, and record what you would do differently.
- Year one - the quiet year. This is when evidence should be attaching itself to indicators as it is produced.
- Year two - run a gap analysis with time to act on it, and start the QI activities that need a review period.
- Six months out - re-run the gap analysis, chase the must-meet indicators, and start the items with external lead times.
- Final quarter - confirmation and assembly, not discovery.
Keeping it a running state
The tool holds evidence against indicators as it arrives, so at any point in the cycle you can answer where you stand without an audit. The timeline view shows what is due and what has lapsed.
What has lead time
Anything that depends on somebody outside the practice: staff training, equipment servicing and calibration, external audits, and any policy that needs the whole team to read and acknowledge it. Those are the items that turn a comfortable final quarter into an uncomfortable one.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the accreditation cycle?
Three years. The survey is the visible part; the evidence it depends on is produced across the whole cycle.
When should we start preparing?
Preparation is not an event to start. The realistic answer is that evidence should be attaching to indicators continuously, with a gap analysis around year two so there is time to act on it.
What has the longest lead time?
Anything involving someone outside the practice - training, servicing, calibration and external audits.