The recommendation process

You will usually make a revalidation recommendation for a doctor once every five years.

Recommendations are key to the revalidation process and based on your legal responsibilities under the Responsible Officer Regulations. They must be made within the notice period (usually 12 months before the doctor’s submission date) and based on:

• the individual doctor’s compliance with the GMC requirements
• a full understanding of, and agreement with, all criteria outlined in the relevant recommendation statements (see recommendations to revalidate, recommendations to defer and recommendations of non-engagement)
• all information available to you about the doctor’s whole practice from appraisal and other local assurance systems
• consistent and fair professional judgement.

If you're not sure which recommendation to make, please email our Revalidation team or contact your ELA.

Following your recommendation, we will make a decision about the doctor’s revalidation based on your recommendation and any other relevant information we hold. We will then set the doctor’s next revalidation submission date where appropriate. 

Read information about the revalidation process for doctors in training.