Changes to the way doctors who’ve not completed an approved training programme can gain specialist or GP registration

We are proposing changes to the way we award Certificates of Eligibility for Specialist/GP Registration (CESR/CEGPR).

Doctors on the specialist and GP registers can work as consultants and GPs in the NHS, and as such have a greater degree of autonomy than more junior doctors. To protect patients, it is essential that we only allow doctors who are safe to work at this level on to these registers.  

What happens now?

At the moment, candidates need to send us extensive documentary evidence that their knowledge, skills and experience are equivalent to those of a doctor who’s been awarded a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).  

What changes are we proposing?

We have reviewed this, and sought the views of  employers and doctors. As a result, while we still believe that some documentary evidence is important, we are proposing the following changes.  

• The assessment of a doctor’s knowledge, skills and experience should focus on an evaluation of their performance in practice, using appropriate assessment tools.
• Doctors new to the UK should work here for a minimum of six months before applying for CESR/CEGPR. This will enable them to acclimatise to UK health systems before being able to work more autonomously.  

We are also considering whether we should ask doctors to demonstrate their specialist knowledge through a formal test. There are strong arguments both for and against this proposal, so we are particularly keen to hear views about this.  

We need to be sure that any changes we make will continue to protect patients, will be fair to doctors and will have the confidence of employers.   

How can I get involved?

The consultation is open until 15 June 2012. Take part through our consultation website or download the consultation document (pdf).