What's in this template?
This clinical handover policy is designed for Australian general practices preparing for RACGP accreditation under the Standards for General Practices (5th Edition). It maps directly to Criterion C5.3 — Clinical handover and uses the internationally recognised ISBAR (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) communication framework.
The template covers 16 sections plus an appendix:
- Purpose — establishes the policy's aim of safe, structured information transfer to reduce adverse events
- Scope — all clinical handover situations (session changes, leave, results, after-hours, referrals, practice transfers)
- The ISBAR Communication Framework — structured table explaining each component (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) with receiving practitioner responsibilities
- End-of-Session / End-of-Day Handover — what to hand over, preferred face-to-face method, written fallback
- Planned and Unplanned Leave Handover — 2-day advance handover for planned leave, emergency coverage protocol for unplanned leave
- Results and Investigation Follow-Up — ordering practitioner responsibility, covering GP protocols for absent practitioners, abnormal result flagging, safety-net audits
- Practice Nurse and Administrative Handover — GP-to-nurse task delegation, reception shift handover book, urgent message escalation
- Locum and Registrar Handover — orientation to handover procedures, regular GP review of locum/registrar consultations
- After-Hours and Deputising Service Handover — voicemail messaging, clinical summary sharing, after-hours report review
- Referral and Specialist Communication — referral letter content standards, specialist report review timeframes
- Transfer of Care to Another Practice — record request process, transfer summary requirements
- Documentation and Record Keeping — all handovers must be documented (verbal-only not acceptable), minimum documentation requirements
- Education and Training — ISBAR training at induction, annual refresher, de-identified incident learning
- Monitoring, Audit, and Improvement — annual handover quality audit, incident reporting, patient feedback, improvement tracking
- Related Policies — cross-references to After-Hours Care, Clinical Risk Management, Health Records, Privacy, Training
- Review History — version control and approval record
- Appendix A — Handover Note Template — ready-to-use ISBAR handover form with structured fields
Editable placeholder fields
The template includes yellow-highlighted {{placeholder}} fields:
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{practice_address}},{{phone}},{{email}}{{after_hours_service_name}}and{{after_hours_service_phone}}{{results_review_frequency}}— how often you audit pending/unreviewed results{{results_audit_coordinator}}— who coordinates the results audit{{specialist_report_review_timeframe}}— e.g. "within 3 business days"{{practice_principal_name}}— for approval sign-off{{review_date}}and{{next_review_date}}
RACGP accreditation requirement
Criterion C5.3 of the RACGP Standards for General Practices (5th Edition) requires that:
"The practice has a system for clinical handover"
To meet this criterion, your practice must demonstrate:
- A documented clinical handover policy using a structured framework (e.g. ISBAR)
- Handover occurs at every transition of care — session changes, leave, after-hours, referrals
- Results and investigations are followed up reliably, including when the ordering GP is absent
- Handover is documented in the patient record, not verbal only
- Staff are trained in the handover process
- The handover system is audited and improved over time
The ACSQHC (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care) Clinical Handover Standard provides additional guidance. Failed or incomplete handover is a leading cause of adverse events in healthcare — a structured approach significantly reduces this risk.
Why ISBAR?
ISBAR is the handover framework recommended by the ACSQHC and widely used across Australian healthcare. It provides a consistent, predictable structure that:
- Ensures critical information is not omitted
- Helps the receiving practitioner anticipate what information is coming
- Reduces ambiguity and miscommunication
- Works across all handover types (face-to-face, written, phone)
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and open it in Microsoft Word or Google Docs
- Find and replace each yellow-highlighted
{{placeholder}}with your practice-specific details - Set up Appendix A — copy the ISBAR Handover Note Template into your practice management system as a reusable template for standardised handover notes
- Define your after-hours arrangements (Section 9) — add your after-hours service name, phone number, and how clinical information is shared
- Set your results review schedule (Section 6) — determine how often pending/unreviewed results are audited and who is responsible
- Agree on specialist report review timeframes (Section 10) — e.g. "within 3 business days of receipt"
- Brief all clinical staff on the ISBAR framework and the expectations in this policy
- Schedule your first handover audit — review handover quality within the first 6 months of adoption
Frequently asked questions
What is ISBAR and why do we need a structured framework?
ISBAR stands for Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. It is a structured communication tool that ensures consistent, complete transfer of patient information during handover. Without a structured framework, critical details are easily missed — research shows that communication failures are the leading cause of adverse events in healthcare.
Does every handover need to be written?
Yes. This policy requires that all clinical handovers are documented — verbal-only handover without documentation is not acceptable for accreditation purposes. The documentation doesn't need to be lengthy — it can be a brief structured note using the ISBAR template provided in Appendix A.
How do we handle results when a GP is on leave?
Section 6 covers this in detail. The covering GP reviews results in the absent GP's inbox. Abnormal results requiring urgent action are flagged immediately by the practice nurse. When the ordering GP returns, they review all results to confirm appropriate action was taken. A regular safety-net audit of pending/unreviewed results provides an additional safeguard.
Can I use this for AGPAL or QPA accreditation?
Yes. Both AGPAL and QPA assess against the RACGP Standards for General Practices (5th Edition). This template is aligned to Criterion C5.3 and the ACSQHC Clinical Handover Standard. Surveyors will typically ask staff about handover processes, review handover documentation, and check audit records.
What about handover for telehealth consultations?
The same handover principles apply. If a GP conducts a telehealth consultation and the patient may need follow-up or the GP won't be available for the next session, a handover note should be created using the same ISBAR format. This ensures continuity regardless of consultation mode.
How often should we audit our handover process?
This template recommends annual audits of handover quality, assessing completeness, timeliness, and adherence to the ISBAR framework. You should also review any incidents or near-misses related to handover failures as they occur, rather than waiting for the annual audit.