DOCTORS can delay their revalidation by up to a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed that those with a revalidation date between March 17, 2020 and March 16, 2021 will be given extra time to complete submissions.
Revalidation is the process by which doctors demonstrate they remain up-to-date and fit to practise. By law, every doctor working in the UK is required to revalidate once every five years.
GMC chief executive Charlie Massey said the pandemic was an “unprecedented challenge” and that the regulator was doing all it could to support doctors and employers.
He said: “Deferring revalidation dates will help free up more time, allowing them to provide the best possible care to patients.”
Flexibility has also been increased for responsible officers (ROs) – senior doctors who submit recommendations for revalidation to the regulator. ROs can now make recommendations at any time up to a doctor’s revised date.
The GMC has also confirmed that a missed appraisal as a result of the pandemic should not prevent a recommendation being made about a doctor’s revalidation. This means ROs can make a revalidation recommendation for a doctor with less than five annual appraisals, providing there is a legitimate reason for the missed appraisal and that other necessary supporting information has been collated.
The GMC is writing to all doctors affected by the date changes with more information.
More information is also available on the GMC website
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.
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