Frequently Asked Questions

When a doctor becomes GMC-registered with a License to Practise, they are committing to provide an ongoing assurance that they are up-to-date on their knowledge, skill and professional development.  

They do so through the process known as “revalidation”, which is a five-year cycle comprising appraisals and multi-source feedback.

Put simply - Partnership.

First, we'll have a conversation with you, about you.  Your work and your Revalidation journey to date is only part of the picture!  Discussing professional obligations can feel a little daunting - punitive, even - so we want to understand and help with any concerns or fears you might have about the process.

Next, we'll agree a suite of support for you, based on your needs and timeframe available for Revalidation.  Your appraisal will be booked for a suitable time, and you will be guided on uploading your appraisal evidence, ready for your discussion.  We will have as many follow-up contacts with you as you need, to make sure that you are comfortable with and understand the process.  

Then, you will complete your appraisal with one of our independent appraisers.  A record will be kept on our secure portal, where you will complete and sign off your discussion in agreement with your appraiser.

We treat ongoing support as a standard feature of every doctor's package, and we ensure you are never left to navigate your professional requirements alone.     

We'd be delighted to!  We devise packages for all doctors who need them, wherever and however they practice.  An outstanding feature of our service is that we don't believe that personalisation is a premium feature; we tailor every support package to your specific circumstances at no additional cost.

Annual appraisal is the key evidence used to support your Revalidation.  It is a discussion every 9-12 months with a qualified appraiser, about all of the work you have carried out.  The GMC requires that you collect, reflect on, and discuss the following six key types of information:

• Continuing professional development (CPD)
• Quality improvement 
• Significant events
• Feedback from patients or those to whom you provide medical services
• Feedback from colleagues
• Compliments and complaints

Naturally enough, your appraisal will be reflective of your recent time as a doctor, and some appraisals may therefore contain more detailed discussion of certain elements than others. 

Appraisal is NOT supposed to be an administrative exercise; rather, a tool through which doctors can take stock and share their recent experiences with a supportive, independent colleague.

A Personal Development Plan is completed as an “output” to your appraisal, is also the main “input” into your next appraisal

Multisource feedback (MSF) is an exercise involving colleagues and patients, completed by a Third Party (we can provide this for you) and collated into a formal report.  MSF is submitted to the GMC to support your Revalidation alongside annual appraisals.  The exercise can be completed at any time during the revalidation cycle, and we would recommend that some feedback is collected every year, both to support annual appraisal and work towards the formal report.

The General Medical Council assigns 'Designated Body' status to a range of UK-based employers (such as NHS Trusts, locum agencies and private organisations).  It is the organisation through which a doctor caries out all or most of their UK-based work.  Most doctors will be able to identify their designated body, and become what is known as a 'Prescribed Connection' to that Body, however it is not essential and the GMC has arrangements in place for doctors who cannot.

All doctors with a License To Practice must take part in revalidation activities, regardless of whether they have a Designated Body.

The Responsible Officer (RO) of a Designated Body is usually a senior doctor. The RO role is set out in statute and includes making sure that the Prescribed Connections of a Designated Body are regularly appraised and there are processes to investigate and refer any fitness to practise concerns to the GMC. The RO ultimately makes the decision to recommend revalidation for each Prescribed Connection