The purpose of the protocol

This page is in Section 1: Introduction - part of the GMC's guide for responsible officers on making revalidation recommendations.

What the protocol includes

This protocol provides guidance for responsible officers (ROs) about how they should consider their recommendations about a doctor’s revalidation.

It describes the GMC’s expectations of how you, as an RO, fulfil your statutory role in making recommendations about the revalidation of doctors with a prescribed connection to your organisation. It reflects the legislation that underpins revalidation and the RO role.

This protocol supports you, as an RO, to make fair and robust recommendations by:

• describing the three categories of recommendations that you can submit
• providing detailed criteria so that you can be confident that you are making recommendations that are consistent, fair and robust
• outlining the practical steps that you should take when submitting your recommendations to the GMC.

Who is the protocol for?

The protocol is guidance that the GMC has produced specifically for ROs. It focuses on your specific responsibility to make recommendations on the revalidation of your doctors.

The GMC (Licence to Practise and Revalidation) Regulations 2012 also allow us to accept recommendations from ‘suitable people' regarding doctors with no prescribed connection to an RO. A 'suitable person' carries out the same functions as an RO in respect of making revalidation recommendations. If the GMC approves someone as suitable to perform the functions of an RO, all guidance, instructions and statements for ROs related to revalidation apply to them. Therefore where we refer to an RO within the protocol this also applies to GMC approved 'suitable people'.

Because this guidance explains how we expect you to fulfil your statutory responsibility it may also be a useful resource for:

• designated bodies, who are required to support you in your role under the Responsible Officer regulations 2010, and;
• licensed doctors, about whom you will make recommendations.

What the protocol does not include

The protocol is not general guidance about revalidation or the RO role. It focuses solely on your duty to make recommendations about the revalidation of your doctors.

The protocol explains how revalidation affects the existing regulatory system that the GMC operates. While the following issues are referenced in the protocol they are not explained in detail:

• the RO role outside of making revalidation recommendations, including the person specification and appointment of ROs (this is described in the RO regulations 2010 and accompanying guidance)
• processes and systems that support revalidation locally
• guidance on revalidation for individual doctors, employers and patients and the public
• information about the licence to practise, or GMC registration more widely
• the GMC’s core functions more generally.