1. Revalidation: Towards implementation
CPE-IPAC meeting, October 2012

2. Revalidation is…
Part of a wider system of measures to promote improvements in safety and quality
Intended to ensure that all medical practice is conducted within a governed system
Positive affirmation of a doctor’s fitness to practise based on GMC core guidance
Good Medical Practice
Positive recommendation from a responsible officer 1

3. Revalidation isn’t… A test or exam with a pass or fail outcome
A new way to raise concerns about a doctor
The only purpose or output of appraisal or training assessment

4. Holding a Licence to Practise
All doctor’s who hold full registration with a Licence to Practise are required to revalidate.
The Licence to Practise allows doctors to exercise certain privileges in the UK, for example to work as a doctor in the NHS, sign death certificates and write prescriptions.
It’s important to note that doctor’s are able to hold full registration with the GMC without a Licence to Practise.
Holding a Licence to Practise
applies only to UK medical practice
has no legal standing outside of the UK - it’s the registration that provides the evidence of good standing with the GMC. 3

5. Requirements for doctors…
Whole practice annual appraisal based on GMP
CPD
Quality Improvement Activity
Significant Events
Colleague Feedback
Patient Feedback
Reviewed Complaints & Compliments

6. How ready is ready?
The doctor must be participating in an annual appraisal process which has Good Medical Practice as its focus and which covers all of their medical practice
The doctor must have completed at least one of these appraisals, which has been signed off by the doctor and their appraiser
The doctor must have demonstrated, through appraisal, that they have collected and reflected on the information as outlined in the GMC’s guidance Supporting information for appraisal and revalidation

7. The recommendation… Doctor Appraiser Responsible Officer
Cycle of appraisal & review
Responsible Officer
Revalidation recommendation
General Medical Council
Revalidation decision

8. Recommendation options…
Responsible Officer recommendation
Revalidation
Request for more time (defer)
Failure to engage
Concerns about Fitness to Practise must be raised when they arise

9. Deferral requests… Providing supporting information
Insufficient information
Information gaps
Participating in a local or national process
HR or investigation
Performance or remediation
Participating in a GMC process
[revalidation placed on hold]
Fitness to Practise

10. Notification of non-engagement…
Confirms RO cannot make an informed recommendation as the doctor has not engaged in revalidation
Not a mechanism for addressing concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise
Like deferrals
Relates to insufficient information in support of a doctor’s revalidation
Unlike deferrals
Concerns doctors who have had sufficient opportunity and support to engage in revalidation, but failed to do so
No reasonable grounds for failure to engage

11. Making recommendations

12. Revalidation requirements…
Employers
Appointed an RO
Provided support to the RO
Robust local systems
Responsible Officers
Robust local systems & processes
Aware of all the doctors they are responsible for
Provide doctors access to supporting information
Doctors
Collecting all their supporting information
Reflecting on their practice
Engaging in whole practice appraisal

13. Implementation principles
Consistent, fair & transparent implementation principles
Patient safety paramount
Driven & owned locally
Representative of connected doctors
Representative of total population of doctors
Vast majority revalidated by March 2016
May take up to 5 years to revalidate all doctors
Manageable for the service & GMC

14. Scheduling

15. Check your list of doctors via GMC Connect
Scheduling steps
GMC
17 Sept – 3 Dec
GMC assigns
submission
dates to doctors
Responsible
Officer
25 Jun – 6 July
Sign up to GMC Connect
Responsible
Officer
25 July – 14 Sept
Schedule doctors to cohorts (quarters/years) using submission spreadsheets on GMC Connect
Responsible
Officer
25 Jun – 20 July
Check your list of doctors via GMC Connect
GMC
operational
activity

16. GMC support

17. Contacts
RO Protocol
GMC website
GMC Revalidation inquiries team
GMC Employment Liaison Advisors
NHS Revalidation Support Team

18. 17

19. Professor Malcolm Lewis, Chair - Continued Practice, Revalidation and Registration Board