Revalidation resources

Revalidation guides

Our guides to revalidation for doctors at different points in their careers

Collecting colleague and patient feedback for revalidation

How to approach seeking colleague and patient feedback for revalidation. Including information for those developing and implementing feedback tools and information for patients.

Revalidation and the licence to practise: withdrawing, giving up or restoring your licence and licensing appeals

Why we might withdraw your licence, how you give up or restore your licence, and how to appeal a revalidation decision.

Revalidation tips for doctors new to UK practice

See our overview of revalidation and revalidation connections for doctors leaving UK training or new to UK practice.

Revalidation tips for doctors working in multiple settings

See our guide to connections, whole practice appraisals and sharing information about medical practice for doctors working in multiple settings.

Revalidation and breaks in practice

What to do if you're planning or have had a break in practice (whether planned or unplanned).

Guidance for decision makers

Understand how we make decisions relating to revalidation.

Patient feedback case studies

Our case studies on seeking patient feedback

Feedback from your patients can give you valuable insight into your performance. We’ve worked with doctors to develop some case studies using real examples. They show how doctors in roles where seeking feedback can be challenging have approached this, such as those with little patient contact or whose patients find it hard to respond.

If you're a doctor and aren't sure how to collect patient feedback, please speak to your appraiser, responsible officer, suitable person or employer.

We’ve also worked with organisations to develop case studies using real examples. They show how feedback systems have been developed and adapted to support patients and doctors to seek feedback.

How can I collect feedback when my patients are too unwell to respond?

Dr Levy works in a hospice. Patients often don’t have capacity to give feedback and asking their families can be inappropriate.

How can I meet appraisal requirements if I don't have patient contact?

Dr Holditch is a microbiologist and Dr Smith a histopathologist. They work in laboratories and provide medical advice to others.

How can I get enough patient feedback when I work in short term posts?

Dr Timms is a locum doctor who holds short term appointments.

Can I collect feedback from clients instead of patients?

Dr Patel is a medico-legal doctor who prepares legal reports. She doesn’t see patients but has clients.

How can I collect feedback when my patients are too young to respond?

Dr Jez is an associate specialist in neonatology. Her patients are infants in a special care baby unit.

How can I collect patient feedback when I work in a managerial role and don’t see patients?

Dr Jackson is a Director of Public Health. She does not have contact with individual patients.

When is the best time to ask my patients for feedback?

Dr Chaudry is an anaesthetist. He sees patients briefly, often when it’s not appropriate to ask them for feedback.

How can I collect patient feedback when I don’t work for any GP service on a regular basis?

Dr Wilson works as a locum GP across a range of different surgeries. Her work includes out of hours and a prison setting.

I see patients briefly in challenging circumstances. How can I collect feedback?

Dr O’Neill provides second opinions for patients detained under the Mental Health Act.

Getting regular patient feedback using surveys at Taurus Healthcare

The seven-day improved access programme operated by local GPs and nurses provides routine appointments to patients from practices across Herefordshire.

Making it easy for patients to give feedback on their care using an online platform

Brook is a national charity offering clinical sexual health services and education and wellbeing services for young people.

Making patient feedback work for doctors and patients: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has developed a centralised feedback system that focuses on asking patients about what matters most to them, such as consistency of care and treatment with respect and dignity.

Making the feedback process work for patients living with dementia and mental health illness

The patient experience team at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust worked closely with staff on specialist Mental Health Services for Older People (MHSOP) wards to develop a tailored approach to patient and carer feedback.

GMC guidance

Our core guides to help you understand revalidation

Guidance for doctors: requirements for revalidation and maintaining your licence

Understand the supporting information you need to collect and reflect upon at your annual appraisal. You can also find the requirements for revalidation for all doctors who hold registration with a licence to practise in the UK.

The GMC protocol for making revalidation recommendations: Guidance for responsible officers and suitable persons

See our guidance to help responsible officers and suitable persons make revalidation recommendations.

Effective governance for the medical profession: A handbook for organisations

See the core elements of effective governance for organisations employing, contracting or overseeing the practice of doctors.

The Good medical practice framework for appraisal and revalidation

See the broad areas which should be covered in medical appraisal and on which recommendations to revalidate doctors should be based.

Involving patients in revalidation

Resources to help you involve patients in revalidation

Although we do not recommend any particular approach, our resources may help you to think about ways that lay member participation can make sure that revalidation systems and outcomes reflect patient interests. Resources include a simplified explanation of revalidation and case studies showing how organisations have involved patients.

See how you can involve patients in revalidation.

Quality assurance from a lay perspective: Milton Keynes University Hospital Revalidation Committee

See the role of lay members in Milton Keynes Hospital’s Revalidation Committee.

Designing revalidation processes using lay expertise: Nottingham University Hospitals MARAG

See the role of lay members in Nottingham University Hospitals’ Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Advisory Group.

Related legislation

The legislation behind revalidation

The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010

The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (which reflect the changes to the structure of the NHS in England which took place on 1 April 2013)

The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 – Explanatory note

The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations (NI) 2010 and accompanying guidance

The General Medical Council (Licence to Practise and Revalidation) Regulations Order of Council 2012

Quality improvement case studies

Our case studies on quality improvement activity

Reflecting on quality improvement activity allows doctors to evaluate their work, identify what works well, and reflect on changes that can be made to improve areas of practice.

If you're not sure how to reflect on quality improvement activity in relation to your practice, please speak to your appraiser, responsible officer, suitable person or employer. Together with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), we’ve developed a range of case studies to help you. They highlight how to collect and format information, for discussion within an appraisal.

Drug monitoring in secondary care

Dr L is a psychiatrist working in an NHS hospital. Some of her patients are adults with bipolar disorder who have been prescribed lithium. She is considering how to meet the requirements for appropriately demonstrating quality improvement.

What supporting information should I present at appraisal in relation to quality improvement across my whole practice?

Ms Adeola is an orthopaedic surgeon. She has a range of practice that includes both established procedures and implants as well as some novel techniques.

How can I demonstrate quality improvement across my range of practice including my use of complex, new or unusual procedures?

Dr Baban is an interventional cardiologist working across the NHS and independent sector. He performs planned and emergency coronary interventions as well as transcatheter valve interventions.

How can I demonstrate quality improvement when undertaking a novel or rare procedure in my independent sector practice?

Dr Wade is a consultant gastroenterologist working across the NHS and independent sector. As part of her independent sector work, she performs an endoscopic intervention for gastro-oesophageal reflux which is not commonly undertaken.

Demonstrate quality improvement while prescribing valproate in primary care

Case study for doctors who work in primary care, wish to demonstrate quality improvement related to patient safety and medicines, and prescribe medicines to patients of childbearing potential.

Recommendation case studies

Making revalidation recommendations is a core function of responsible officers and suitable persons

These case studies explore a range of issues that might influence the recommendations you make for your connected doctors.

Making recommendations: colleague feedback

How to use feedback to inform your recommendations. How much feedback you need and whether you should compare the amount of feedback gathered by different doctors.

Making recommendations: deferrals

Understand the relationship between breaks in practice and recommendations to defer. See the discretion you have to make deferral recommendations and the support we can give to help you make your decision.

Making recommendations: non-engagement

Understand which recommendation to make when a doctor has not engaged with revalidation processes.

Making recommendations: barriers to engagement

Explore reasons why doctors might not engage with revalidation. Understand that you must provide access to appropriate systems and processes to support revalidation.

Making recommendations: deferrals where the Dr has raised concerns

Things to consider when making a deferral where the Doctor has raised public interest concerns.

Making recommendations: non-engagement where the Dr has raised concerns

Understand which recommendation to make when a doctor has not engaged with revalidation processes after raising public interest concerns.

GMC support services

Our support services who can help you in revalidation

A women in discussion, holding a hot drink

Outreach - working locally to meet the changing needs of UK health services

Our Outreach team works across the UK to improve understanding of our guidance.

Related organisations

Revalidation advice and support from other organisations

England

NHS England – medical revalidation

Scotland

Scottish Government revalidation

Medical Appraisal Scotland (home of SOAR)

Wales

Wales Revalidation Delivery Board page on the Welsh Government website

Medical Appraisal and Revalidation System (MARS) for doctors in Wales

Northern Ireland

Department of Health Revalidation

UK organisations

British Medical Association revalidation
Get an overview and FAQs on revalidation. They also provide the Doctor Support Service a confidential support service for doctors.

COPMeD revalidation publications
The Conference Of Postgraduate Medical Deans (UK) includes a number of publications on revalidation for doctors in training.

The medical royal colleges and faculties have set up help desks for responsible officers, appraisers and doctors seeking specialty advice about revalidation. You can also find revalidation information on their websites:

The Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine

Faculty of Homeopathy

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management

Faculty of Occupational Medicine

Faculty of Public Health

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine

Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (FSEM)

Royal College of Anaesthetists

Royal College of Emergency Medicine

Royal College of General Practitioners

Royal College of Radiologists