Checklist: Before you decide on your recommendation

This page is in Section 4: Criteria for responsible officer recommendations - part of the GMC's guide for responsible officers on making revalidation recommendations.

As a responsible officer (RO), you should read through this checklist before finalising your recommendation about a doctor’s revalidation.

Your responsibility to make recommendations

You must make a recommendation about the revalidation of each doctor who has a prescribed connection to your organisation when their revalidation submission date falls due.

For each recommendation that you make, you are responsible for:

• considering the information that is available to you about a doctor’s fitness to practise (including the outputs of appraisal and other information from clinical and corporate governance systems)

• seeking additional advice or information about your recommendations, from, for example, the GMC Employer Liaison Adviser (ELA) for your area

• the nature of the recommendations you are making about doctors for whom you are the RO, regardless of whether you delegate any activity relating to your recommendations

• ensuring that your recommendations are submitted to the GMC on or before the date they are due.

Make sure that you:

• read and understand the definitions of the three recommendation categories

• read and understand the statements for each of the three recommendation categories (pdf)

• read and apply the protocol guidance that we have provided

• submit recommendations that align with our criteria for the relevant recommendation category

• allow sufficient time to submit your recommendation to the GMC by the date that it is due

• understand that you are responsible for the recommendations that you make, and that you cannot delegate responsibility for making a decision on which recommendation is appropriate.