What a responsible officer recommendation means
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.
A responsible officer (RO) recommendation is a formal submission to the GMC about a doctor’s revalidation. An RO’s recommendation can only involve one of the following categories:
For responsible officers and designated bodies
In line with the General Medical Council (Licence to Practise and Revalidation) Regulations 2012, your recommendation will be used by the Registrar, on behalf of the GMC, to make a decision about whether a doctor’s licence will be continued.
Your recommendation is a formal submission to the GMC about a doctor’s revalidation. By sending a revalidation recommendation you are fulfilling your statutory duty, as described in the Responsible Officer Regulations 2010 to ‘make recommendations about the fitness to practise’ of licensed doctors.
Your recommendation is distinct from your other contact with the GMC about a doctor’s revalidation, such as discussions with the Employer Liaison Service (ELS) or the GMC Revalidation Decisions Team.
Your recommendation reflects your consideration of the information that is available to you about a doctor’s revalidation, which has been drawn from across their revalidation cycle. This includes information collected by the doctor and the outputs of local systems and processes to support revalidation.
Later pages of this protocol provide further information about the information ROs should consider and where it is drawn from.
For licensed doctors
Your recommendation represents your judgement about the fitness to practise of a licensed doctor. It is based on:
- your assessment of whether a doctor has participated in all necessary processes and systems for revalidation, and
- whether the doctor’s participation has revealed any concerns about their fitness to practise.
Your recommendation is not a decision about whether a doctor should be revalidated. The GMC uses your recommendation to inform its decision about a doctor’s revalidation.
For the GMC
The formal revalidation process, as described in the General Medical Council (Licence to Practise and Revalidation) Regulations 2012, begins when the GMC issues notice to a doctor stating that they are due to revalidate.
Your recommendation will form the basis of the GMC’s decision about a doctor’s revalidation. It summarises your judgement about whether a doctor is up to date and fit to practise, and should continue to hold a licence to practise.
Your recommendations are a key part of the revalidation process. It is important that you take steps to ensure their quality and consistency, as described in Section 2 of this guidance.