Supporting professional development

Our draft new guidance is designed to help doctors to plan and evaluate their continuing professional development (CPD) for revalidation. It should also help employers understand what they need to do to support their staff.

When we surveyed doctors, we found that, while 79% believed CPD had improved the care they give their patients, 22% said they struggled to access appropriate learning opportunities. (Read the full results of our survey (929Kb, pdf).)

When revalidation is introduced in late 2012, CPD will become more important than ever as it will be a critical part of how doctors demonstrate they are keeping up to date.

What are we proposing?

We are proposing to publish and implement new guidance which sets out what doctors need to take into account when planning, doing and evaluating CPD to make sure they meet the requirements for revalidation. It also makes clear how employers need to support doctors’ ongoing professional development.

To make sure the guidance is applied locally, we want organisations integrate it with local processes of appraisal and personal development planning.

We are also keen to share information with doctors about emerging trends in medical practice or professionalism that may affect their future CPD needs.

What do you think?

You can read the draft guidance (929Kb, pdf) and comment on our proposals in our online consultation or download a pdf of the consultation (679Kb, pdf).

We have also published a summary of responses to our CPD survey (929Kb, pdf) which received almost 2,000 responses.

We will be attending events across the UK to discuss our proposals in person. If you are holding an event or meeting and would like us to come and talk about our proposals, please contact Paula Robblee (probblee@gmc-uk.org; 020 7189 5207).