GMC to start revalidation in 2012

20 October 2010

REVALIDATION will be implemented for doctors from “late 2012”, it has been announced.

The GMC and the health departments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland issued a joint statement saying the programme would get underway by the summer of that year.

The statement also sets out key milestones that will have to be in place before the scheme can start. Responsible officers will need to be in post across the UK, it says, and all doctors must be taking part in an appraisal process. It also says agreement is needed on the supporting information doctors will bring to their annual appraisal.

The statement follows publication of the GMC’s response to its consultation, entitled Revalidation: The Way Ahead. The document states that while most of those who responded supported the principle and key proposals, there were concerns about how it would work in practice. The report highlighted suggestions from many that the proposed programme should be simpler – a view the GMC said it shared.

The main area of concern, the report said, surrounded the supporting information doctors would need to bring to their appraisal. In its response, the GMC agreed to streamline the process, make it more flexible, add more detail, learn from the experiences of pilot schemes and start to plan for implementation.

Niall Dickson, the GMC chief executive, said: “We are committed to developing a system of revalidation that meets the needs of doctors, patients and the public. The extra time for piloting will make sure we can test and streamline the system and get it right. Revalidation will build on systems already in place to support high quality care and increase patients' confidence in their doctors."

The BMA responded to the report by urging the GMC to work with partner organisations to find a way of making the required improvements.

BMA chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: “The lack of detail means a significant degree of uncertainty remains, compounded by new challenges presented by the recent White Paper proposals for England.

"We understand the need for a clear path to implementation but this must not be at the expense of ensuring the process is right and has the confidence of doctors. As such, it is essential that the extended pilots in England are fully evaluated and any issues adequately addressed as part of the ‘test of readiness’, and before any possible launch later in 2012.”