Checklist: Before you consider your recommendation

This page is in Section 2: Considering your recommendation about a doctor's revalidation - part of the GMC's guide for responsible officers on making revalidation recommendations.

As an RO, you should read through this checklist before considering your recommendation about a doctor’s revalidation.

Check:

• that the doctor has a prescribed connection to your designated body
• how your designated body will submit recommendations (e.g. via GMC Connect)
• that you have sufficient support and resources to enable you to prepare recommendations and send them to the GMC.

Make sure you are aware that:

• while your team may complete recommendation submissions on your behalf, the accountability for making the recommendation and the decision to submit cannot be delegated to others
• your recommendation may only be a positive recommendation, a deferral request, or a notification of non-engagement in revalidation
• your recommendation is not a decision about a doctor’s revalidation
• your recommendation forms the basis of the GMC’s decision about the doctor’s revalidation
• the GMC will follow up overdue recommendations.

Make sure you are aware of:

• your statutory duty to make recommendations about doctors’ fitness to practise, as described in the Responsible Officer (RO) Regulations 2010
• the responsibilities of individual doctors to collect supporting information and participate in annual appraisal for revalidation
• the content and key messages of this protocol.