Appraisal and Revalidation
From the end of 2009, all doctors registered with the UK GMC will need to hold a licence to practise if they wish to prescribe, sign death certificates, or perform certain specific roles for which a licence is required.
Relicensing will come into force gradually, and is likely to start two or three years after the issue of licences with those organisations and doctors that have a clear plan already in operation. Once it has started, the process will be repeated every five years.
The process will work as follows:
Each doctor will need to have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser within a quality assured appraisal system, such as that which has been developed by the IDF. The final format of the appraisal is still evolving, but will need to follow the framework laid down by the GMC. Doctors will have to provide a folder of evidence of their performance relating to each of the attributes in the GMC framework, some of which will be laid down as a minimum data set. This will include multi source feedback, with responses from both colleagues and patients, which should be performed twice in each five year cycle. Evidence of CPD will be required, and it should be noted that the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges suggests that a minimum of 50 hours of CPD is required. There will also be a requirement to note and reflect on feedback, complaints and adverse incidents.
Responsible Officers (ROs) will be appointed, so that every licensed doctor has a relationship with a single RO. In organisations of sufficient size it is likely that this position will be filled by the Medical Director. It is hoped that the IDF will also be able to have an RO. The RO must be GMC registered and licensed. The RO will review clinical governance data for the organisation, and deal with any concerns regarding each doctor’s practice as they arise. They will also review each doctor’s summary of appraisal. At the end of each five year period, they will be able to recommend, using this information, whether a doctor should be relicensed or not. The GMC will then make the final decision concerning relicensing.
GMC affiliates will be appointed regionally, and will be the first port of call for any discussion of concerns about a doctor’s practice that cannot easily be solved in house by the RO.
For those doctors on the GP or Specialist Registers, recertification will also be required. This will be managed by the Royal Colleges, and the requirements will vary from college to college. It is hoped that relicensing and recertification will be a seamless process.
The IDF appraisal process will be quality assured, involving at a minimum the induction training and annual updating of appraisers, analysis of feedback from appraisees and routine audit of appraisal summaries. The GMC QA procedure will involve the review of a percentage of doctors’ portfolios developed for appraisal.
The relevant information is all in the February 2007 White Paper and the Health and Social Care bill (November 2007).
The IDF Appraisal system is open exclusively to IDF members, and any member wishing to join the system and undergo an annual appraisal should contact Rachel Whitelegg, Tel: 020 8504 6568, e-mail: rachel@idf.uk.net. You can find further information and the relevant appraisal documents in the appraisal section of the member only area of the website once you have logged in.