Why we reviewed our requirements

We reviewed our requirements in response to two independent reviews of revalidation. Many doctors reported finding patient feedback one of the most useful pieces of supporting information to reflect on. But there were issues with the feedback process. 

Our guidance required doctors to use a structured questionnaire to get feedback at least once every five years. This approach didn’t allow doctors to use other feedback tools that might work better for their patients and type of practice.

Systems used to collect feedback were considered inflexible. And the patient sample too small and not representative enough. As a result, some felt the process was a ‘tick-box’ exercise. The culture around giving and receiving feedback has moved on since revalidation was introduced. There are a wide range of tools available now to help this.