Doctors can expect to start receiving revalidation dates by the end of the year

The GMC told the Health Select Committee that revalidation was its number one concern and should begin at the end of the year

Revalidation should begin at the end of the year and that it remains the General Medical Council’s (GMC) top priority, MPs were told this week.

Subject to the Secretary of State for Health’s decision to switch on the legislation before the end of 2012, the GMC will begin to tell each doctor the date when they can expect to revalidate and undergo regular checks on their skills and performance.

Professor Sir Peter Rubin, Chair of the GMC, told the Health Select Committee at its annual accountability hearing that revalidation was its number one concern and part of its wider commitment to be more outward facing.

Sir Peter said: ‘All of the information we have had from around the UK gives me great confidence that we are now in a position to start revalidation.’

Sir Peter and the GMC’s Chief Executive Niall Dickson also outlined the actions the GMC was taking to support doctors in their work.

This included producing new guidance on child protection and on raising concern about patient safety, introducing a new confidential helpline which doctors could call if they wanted to raise any patient safety concerns and piloting a national induction programme for doctors new to UK medical practice.

For the first time junior doctors had also been asked specifically in the GMC’s National Training Survey if they had any concerns about patient safety at the place where they train, MPs were told.

The committee was also told that the GMC had launched a new employer liaison service at the start of the year. The 15 employer liaison advisers are based across the UK and work closely with medical managers to support them with the introduction of revalidation as well dealing with any performance or conduct issues among doctors for whom they are responsible.

On delivering value for money, the GMC said it was continuing its efforts to keep costs and fees down – last year the annual fee paid by doctors had been cut for the first time in the history of the GMC.