Revalidation projects report to Programme Board

Reports on three projects were presented to the Revalidation Programme Board meeting on 14 October, which will inform further work on revalidation.

The projects were:  

Revalidation in General Practice in Wales

The Welsh project concentrated on looking at whether current appraisal systems can be used for revalidation.  It also looked at developing an assessment tool to provide Local Health Boards with feedback on how prepared their systems are.

The project found that clinical governance and appraisal systems are already well embedded in primary care in Wales. Indications from the project are that implementing revalidation is likely to be a smooth process where there is already good healthcare governance.

Buckinghamshire PCT and GMC revalidation project

This considered the quantity, quality and type of supporting information brought to appraisal by GPs. A questionnaire was developed by Buckinghamshire PCT in conjunction with the GMC for appraisers to complete about information presented at the appraisal discussion.

NHS Professionals (Doctors)

Locum doctors were invited to participate in an appraisal process with a trained appraiser and asked to provide feedback on their experience.

The findings from all the projects will help to inform the GMC’s development of revalidation policy.

Keith Pearson is Chair of the UK Revalidation Programme Board:

“The findings from these projects are extremely encouraging and helpful as we begin to plan how revalidation will be implemented. The Welsh project in particular underlines that revalidation can be straightforward for doctors and their healthcare organisations provided that clinical governance and appraisal are well embedded. We are looking forward to the findings from other projects and pilots that are underway or planned to begin next year. It is clear that momentum is beginning to build across the UK and sustaining that momentum will be a key area of focus for the Board over the coming year."

And early in 2010 the GMC will launch a consultation on key aspects of how revalidation will work.

Those key aspects are:

• the revalidation model
• GMC framework for appraisal and assessment based on Good Medical Practice
• speciality standards and assessment or evaluation methods for recertification developed by the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties
• principles and criteria for multi-source feedback as part of revalidation
• CPD as part of revalidation
• revalidation and updating the register
• policy questions and non standard scenarios
• implementing revalidation
• remediation

A copy of the agenda, minutes and papers are available on the GMC website: http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/licensing/revalidation_board_meetings.asp