Revalidation

Every licensed doctor who practises medicine must revalidate. Revalidation supports you to develop your practice, drives improvements in clinical governance and gives your patients confidence that you're up to date. This page provides step by step guidance and resources to support doctors in revalidation. Patients and members of the public can also find out more about revalidation.

More information about revalidation for doctors

Find your revalidation connection

You can use this tool to find your revalidation connection type. You will be directed to step by step information on how to revalidate based on the answers you give.

Find my connection

How to revalidate

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Doctors with a designated body

These steps explain how to revalidate if you need your licence to practise and you are connected to a responsible officer through your designated body. If you're not sure about your connection, you should use our connection tool.

Update your connection

Make sure your designated body is correct in GMC Online.

GMC Online

Set up a GMC Online account

Collect supporting information

Understand the types of information you need to collect and reflect upon for appraisal.

Guidance on supporting information for appraisal and revalidation

Have an appraisal

Find out what you need to do for your annual whole practice appraisal.

Whole practice appraisals

The Good medical practice framework for appraisal and revalidation (pdf)

Revalidate

Understand the recommendations your responsible officer can make and how we make a decision about your revalidation.

Recommendations and our revalidation decision making process

Doctors with a suitable person

These steps explain how to revalidate if you need your licence to practise and can connect to a suitable person. If you're not sure about your connection, you should use our connection tool.

Update your connection

Read our guide on connecting to a suitable person. If you're already connected, make sure this information is up to date in GMC Online.

Connecting to a suitable person

GMC Online

Set up a GMC Online account

Collect supporting information

Understand the types of information you need to collect and reflect upon for appraisal.

Supporting information guide

Have an appraisal

Find out what you need to do for your annual whole practice appraisal.

Whole practice appraisals

The Good medical practice framework for appraisal and revalidation (pdf)

Revalidate

Understand the recommendations your suitable person can make and how we make a decision about your revalidation.

Recommendations and our revalidation decision making process

Doctors with no connection

These steps explain how to revalidate if you need your licence to practise and do not have a connection to a designated body or suitable person. If you're not sure about your connection, you should use our connection tool.

Update your connection

If you've used our connection tool and don’t have a responsible officer or suitable person, update your connection information in GMC Online.

GMC Online

Set up a GMC Online account

Collect supporting information

Understand the types of information you need to collect and reflect upon for appraisal.

Supporting information guide

Have an appraisal and complete your annual return

Read our guide on finding an appraiser, whole practice appraisals and annual returns.

Appraisals and annual returns

The Good medical practice framework for appraisal and revalidation (pdf)

Revalidate

Find out about the revalidation assessment and how we make a decision about your revalidation.

Assessments and the GMC decision

Doctors in training

These steps explain how to revalidate if you are connected to a designated body and responsible officer through your training programme. If you're not sure about your connection, you should use our connection tool.

Update your connection

Find your designated body using our connection tool and update this information in GMC Online. Your connection might change when you complete training or if you take a break in practice.

Connections for doctors in training

GMC Online

Set up GMC Online account

Participate in the requirements of your training programme

Take part in the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) and discuss your progress and learning needs with your educational supervisors, including causes for concern and any practice outside your training programme.

Revalidation requirements for doctors in training

Your revalidation

Understand the timing of your revalidation and the recommendations your responsible officer can make.

Revalidation for doctors in training

More information

Find out more about revalidation by reading our guides. Or learn more from the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (COPMeD) website.

Guidance for doctors: requirements for revalidation and maintaining your licence (pdf)

The GMC protocol for making revalidation recommendations (pdf)

COPMeD website

Our full guidance for all doctors is available as a PDF:

Guidance for doctors: requirements for revalidation and maintaining your licence

Guidance on supporting information for appraisal and revalidation

Revalidation for responsible officers

Understand your responsibilities in relation to revalidation.

Revalidation for suitable persons

Understand your responsibilities in relation to revalidation.

Revalidation for patients and public

Understand what revalidation is and how you can get involved.

A Responsible officer and doctor sitting talking at a desk

Revalidation resources

These resources are designed to support you with revalidation.

Revalidation resources

Quick links

Useful links

How we monitor and evaluate revalidation

Learn about the work we do to monitor revalidation and its impact.

How we manage and respond to revalidation concerns

How we respond to concerns about the reliability of revalidation recommendations.

Guidance for decision makers

Understand the decisions our staff make about your revalidation.

A–Z of designated bodies

Find the full list and contact details for all designated bodies in the UK.

GMC Data Explorer

Use this tool to explore and export our data on revalidation.

Contact us

If you have any further queries about revalidation, you can call us: 0161 923 6277 (+44 from outside the UK). Or you can email us.

The General Medical Council

We help to protect patients and improve medical education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and doctors. We support them in achieving and exceeding those standards, and take action when they are not met.

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Check the register status of a doctor.

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