Question 1

What is the easiest way to manage practice policies in New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way to manage general practice policies in NZ is to use a digital policy management system like GPDocs. It provides up-to-date, compliant policy templates aligned with Foundation standards and New Zealand legislation—saving practices hours of manual work.

Question 2

Can GPDocs help with policy version control?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GPDocs is a secure online solution with automatic version control, so your team always accesses the most current policy—no more confusion over outdated documents.

Question 3

How do I prepare for a Foundation standards assessment?

Accepted Answer

Start by reviewing and updating all required policies for compliance with current standards. With GPDocs, your policies are already aligned with the latest Foundation requirements, making preparation faster, simpler, and less stressful.

Question 4

What policies are required for NZ general practices?

Accepted Answer

New Zealand general practices typically need policies covering complaints, privacy, clinical safety, infection prevention, adverse events, and more. GPDocs includes a full suite of policies mapped to Foundation, Cornerstone, and legislative requirements.

Question 5

How often do practice policies need to be reviewed in NZ?

Accepted Answer

Most policies should be reviewed on a three-year cycle, or when legislation or internal processes change. GPDocs includes built-in review schedules and our team proactively researches and updates your policies, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Question 6

How do I get my team to actually follow our practice policies?

Accepted Answer

With GPDocs, policies are easy to find and understand.  We also include checklists and guidance to help the team plan and stay on top of routine compliance work.  Our review schedule is another way to help you establsh accountability—without pestering.

Question 7

What happens if our policies are out of date?

Accepted Answer

Outdated policies can lead to legal risk, failed assessments, inconsistent care, and patient complaints. GPDocs helps you stay compliant and audit-ready with minimal effort.

Question 8

Is GPDocs suitable for Cornerstone or Foundation practices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GPDocs is used by both Foundation and Cornerstone-accredited practices across NZ. It provides tailored support to meet the specific compliance requirements of each framework.

Question 9

Can I get a demo of GPDocs before committing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We'd be happy to give you a demo so you can see how GPDocs works and whether it’s a good fit for your practice—no pressure to sign up.

Question 10

How does GPDocs compare to writing our own policies?

Accepted Answer

Writing policies from scratch is time-consuming and risky if you’re not a compliance expert. GPDocs gives you ready-to-use, legally aligned policies reviewed by policy specialists—saving hours and giving peace of mind.

Question 11

How much time will GPDocs save us for assessment preparation?

Accepted Answer

Many practices spend weeks—or even months—rewriting outdated policies manually. With GPDocs, you can get assessment-ready policies in hours, and avoid last-minute panic.

Question 12

Can assessors see my policies?

Accepted Answer

We encourage you to share a link to your GPDocs policies with your assessor.  Most assessors know and love GPDocs because it makes their job straightforward.  This is because our policies are explicitly linked to the assessment criteria.

Question 13

What if our practice policies haven’t been updated in years?

Accepted Answer

You’re not alone. Many NZ practices fall behind. GPDocs provides a simple path to get back on track with modern, legally compliant policies you can implement straight away—without starting from scratch.

Question 14

Is GPDocs worth the investment for small practices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GPDocs can save small teams dozens of hours and help avoid the hidden costs of non-compliance—like failed assessments, legal risk, or staff burnout. One missed policy update can cost more than a year of subscribing to GPDocs.

Question 15

How does GPDocs save time and money?

Accepted Answer

By eliminating the need to write, update, and manage policies manually. GPDocs comes with a full suite of compliant, pre-written policies and automated updates—saving both staff time and external advisory fees.

Question 16

Do I still need to hire a policy consultant if I use GPDocs?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, no. GPDocs policies are reviewed by healthcare compliance experts and tailored to NZ general practice, removing the need for expensive policy writing consultants.

Question 17

Why is this change happening?

Accepted Answer

We’re introducing unique logins to protect sensitive information and comply with best practices in data security. Shared accounts make it harder to maintain privacy and track access safely.

Question 18

How will this improve security?

Accepted Answer

Individual accounts mean that each person’s access is verified and monitored, reducing the risk of unauthorised use or accidental data exposure.

Question 19

Will this make logging in more complicated?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. You’ll simply use your own username and password instead of a shared one. Once set up, it will work just like your current login.

Question 20

What will happen to the shared account?

Accepted Answer

The shared login will be phased out. Everyone will receive instructions for setting up their individual account before that happens.

Question 21

Are there any new features coming with this change?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unique logins will allow us to offer personalised dashboards, track who's read each policy, save user preferences, and more – all designed to make your work easier.

Question 22

Who can I contact if I need help setting up my new account?

Accepted Answer

For help contact team@gpdocs.co.nz or call on 0800 473 627

Frequently asked questions