Updated guidance on appraisals and revalidation from GMC

The General Medical Council (GMC) has written to all UK-registered doctors to make them aware of its new guidance to help with the task of collating information necessary for appraisals and revalidation.

Licensed doctors are expected to collect six types of supporting information, to reflect on and discuss at their appraisals, as part of the process of revalidation – by which doctors demonstrate that they are up-to-date and fit to practise.

The six are: continuing professional development, quality improvement activity, significant events, feedback from colleagues, feedback from patients, and complaints and compliments.

The updated guidance:

• provides information on the balance between quality and quantity of supporting information that a doctor must collect, but explains that the GMC does not set a minimum or maximum amount
• reinforces the importance of doctors who have multiple roles gathering information that covers the whole of their practice
• emphasises that appraisals and revalidation are not ‘pass or fail’ exercises, but should be developmental
• provides more information on collecting feedback from colleagues.

GMC Press release 1 May 2018: GMC updates guidance to help doctors with appraisals and revalidation