Medical Appraisal & Revalidation Information for GMC Doctors

at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

As a registered doctor with a licence to practice you need to regularly prove you are working to required standards. This is called revalidation and every doctor needs to revalidate every 5 years. The purpose of revalidation is to assure patients and the public, employers and other healthcare professionals that licensed doctors are keeping their knowledge up to date and are fit to practice. Revalidation is based on annual whole practice appraisals carried out by a Trust approved appraiser. The GMC Good Medical Practice framework sets out the broad areas which should be covered in a doctor’s appraisal and on which the recommendations to revalidate doctors should be based.    

Click here for the GMC Good Medical Practice Framework                                     

To revalidate, you must be connected to a designated body. Only UK organisations can be designated bodies. Your connection with a designated body means you are always supported with medical appraisal and revalidation. It is the responsible officer (RO) of the designated body who makes a recommendation to the GMC every 5 years that you are up to date and fit to practice. If you are employed directly by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust then this will be your designated body. To connect to a designated body, log on to your GMC online account. Once you are connected you will receive an email from the medical appraisal and revalidation team who will give you details about having an appraisal. Annual appraisal is a contractual and revalidation requirement and should be carried out within 12 months of the last appraisal. It is the doctor’s responsibility to have an annual appraisal.

Preparation is key to having a good quality appraisal. You will need to collect supporting information for your appraisal to help show how you’re meeting the professional standards in your everyday practice. The royal colleges of medicines and faculties can give advice and guidance about how to meet the requirements in particular specialties.

The supporting information is important in itself, but it is also your reflection on the information and the record of that reflection that informs the appraisal discussion.

The types of supporting information that a doctor will be expected to provide and discuss at an appraisal are:

• Continuing professional development (CPD)
• Quality improvement activities
• Significant events
• Feedback from colleagues and patients
• A review of complaints and compliments

Further help and guidance can be found on the GMC website www.gmc-uk.org  or contact the medical appraisal and revalidation team Tel 01494 426503 / 01494 426369 or email BHT.doctorsrevalidation@nhs.net