UK Revalidation Programme Board reviews revalidation progress

The UK Revalidation Programme Board has met to review revalidation progress

Projects and Pilots

As part of its ongoing role in monitoring and overseeing the various components of revalidation, the UK Revalidation Programme Board which met yesterday received an update from the four UK countries including about the various pilots and projects taking place the UK. The second phase of pilots and projects are now being commissioned. In England, there has been significant interest from organisations wishing to take part in the programme beginning in 2010. The third phase – ‘early adopters’ - will begin in 2011 and will cover the whole revalidation process, enabling the first revalidation decisions to be made.

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) updated the Board on its ongoing programme of work, including the development by the Royal Colleges of specialty standards and evaluation methods for recertification. Once the speciality standards have been considered by the GMC’s Continued Practice Board they will form a key component of the GMC’s revalidation consultation, to be launched in February 2010. 

Communication

A leaflet will be sent to employers across all NHS organisations and the independent sector to remind them that the successful introduction of licensing on the 16 November was the first step towards revalidation. The leaflet stresses that local clinical governance systems and appraisal processes need to be robust to support revalidation.
An e-bulletin will be launched before Christmas to keep interested parties up to date with the work of the programme board. Details of how to sign up to receive the bulletin will be available on the GMC website shortly (www.gmc-uk.org).

GMC revalidation consultation

The consultation beginning in February 2010 will be supported by a programme of communications and engagement to maximise involvement in the process from doctors, employers and the public.

Doctors, employers and the public will be able to participate in a number of different ways: through a hard copy consultation document, an online consultation survey, and through various types of events (such as one-on-one meetings, roundtable events, focus groups and large, interactive consultation events).

Paul Buckley, Director of Education and Revalidation said:
“A huge amount of work has been done in 2009 by all those organisations represented on the Board. Much of this work has been behind the scenes but in the consultation we will be seeking the views of all our key interests on the model for revalidation. In 2010 the four UK countries will also be increasing piloting activity to test the local systems that will support revalidation, ensuring that they are effective and robust without imposing  unnecessary costs or burdens on doctors or the NHS and other healthcare providers.  Ensuring the implementation of revalidation remains a major priority for the GMC, medical Royal Colleges, Departments of Health and employers and we are working our way through this major programme of work to ensure readiness from 2011.”

ENDS