Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

Case studies

In this section you will find a series of scenarios that responsible officers (ROs) might face as they consider what recommendation to make to the GMC about a doctor's revalidation.

We developed these fictional scenarios to explore a range of issues, and combinations of issues, that might come up as an RO makes his or her judgement.

They are written primarily for responsible officers, but doctors might also find them useful in helping to understand the principles that underpin revalidation.

We would like to thank all those who have given their feedback and ideas in helping us to devise and write these scenarios.

Revalidation recommendation scenarios

  • Scenario 1: Colleague feedback
    • how much feedback you need to make a recommendation
    • whether it’s valid to consider how much feedback one doctor gathered in your decision about another
    • how to use the feedback to inform your judgement.
  • Scenario 2: Deferral
    • the relationship between breaks in practice and deferral of the revalidation due date
    • how far you have discretion to make a judgement about whether a deferral is necessary
    • your ability to discuss issues with us in confidence, separately from making your recommendation.
  • Scenario 3: Non-engagement
    • what engagement and non-engagement actually look like in practice
    • the doctor’s professional obligation to engage
    • when to tell us about non-engagement.
  • Scenario 4: Potential barriers to engagement
    • what you must do before you notify us of non-engagement
    • the relationship between local and GMC processes designed to deal with non-engagement
    • the importance of your role in improving governance and appraisal systems.
  • Scenario 5: When the doctor is working 'under conditions'
    • what undertakings or conditions mean for a doctor’s revalidation
    • what happens if there are new fitness to practise (FTP) concerns about a doctor in this position. 
  • Scenario 6: Difficult behaviour by a doctor
    • complaints that don't always seem to amount to a fitness to practise concern
    • the continuing importance of local processes
    • what the impact of such behaviour might be on a doctor's revalidation.