Revalidation Updates

• GMC issues revalidation leaflet to all doctors (December 2011)
• RCPCH signs revalidation online portfolio contract (December 2011)
• HSJ publishes revalidation supplement (November 2011)
• Parent and carer feedback tool (PaedCCF) launched for paediatric outpatient consultations (November 2011)
• Consultation on revised specialty guidance on supporting information for revalidation (August 2011)
• Final report of England revalidation pathfinder pilot findings published (July 2011)
• RST publishes information management and technology FAQs (July 2011)
• NAPCE appraisal and revalidation conference (27-28 September 2011, Birmingham)
• GMC launches new guidance on patient & colleague feedback tools (June 2011)
• Revalidation Support Team (RST) launches monthly Responsible Officer newsletters (May 2011)
• GMC launches new appraisal guidance for revalidation (April 2011)
• NHS Employers revalidation webinar 7 April (April 2011)
• Health Select Committee pronounces on revalidation(February 2011)
• Health Select Committee call for evidence on revalidation (December 2010)
• Revalidation due to commence end 2012 (November 2010)
• GMC consultation analysis released (November 2010)
• RCPCH revalidation guidance now available (October 2010)
• Revalidation first stage project reports published (July 2010)
• College response to GMC revalidation consultation (June 2010)
• Secretary of State extends revalidation pilots until 2012 (June 2010)
• College involved in England pathfinder pilots(April 2010)
• GMC consultation on revalidation launched (March 2010)
• GMC approves paediatric specialty standards for recertification (Jan 2010)
• GMC publishes lastest Revalidation FAQs (November 2009/March 2010)

 GMC issues revalidation leaflet to all doctors

The GMC has issued a leaflet in December 2011 to all doctors which outlines what doctors should be doing to get ready for the introduction of revalidation in late 2012. It says that doctors should be having regular appraisals, reading the GMC’s revalidation guidance, and thinking about whether they need a licence to practise if they don’t work in the UK or their role doesn’t require them to have one. It also says that the GMC will ask doctors in the spring of 2012 to confirm the organisation they will link to for revalidation (their prescribed connection). This will be the first in a series of direct contacts between GMC and doctors to make sure they are ready for revalidation. Go to the GMC website for more information.

HSJ publishes revalidation supplement

A HSJ supplement on revalidation in association with the GMC, available on the HSJ website to subscribers, provides an update on what revalidation means for doctors and employers.

RCPCH signs revalidation online portfolio contract 

The RCPCH, as part of a cohort of medical royal colleges, has signed a contract with Equiniti 360° Clinical to provide an online portfolio to support UK doctors through their revalidation.  The revalidation portfolio will be easy to use, accessible online, customisable by each medical royal college, and secure, private, and confidential. The next phase of the project includes development, testing and approval processes, involving doctors who will eventually be using the revalidation portfolio. 
 

Parent and carer feedback tool launched for paediatric outpatient consultations

RCPCH has launched its own parent and carer feedback tool for use in outpatient consultations. Following extensive piloting this tool is available for use from 2012 by non training grade doctors who wish to use the RCPCH tool to gain parent and carer feedback as part of revalidation requirements.  Further information on the tool, when it is available, what it costs and how to register is available on the PaedCCF webpage.

The tool will also be available for use by trainees in 2012 following further piloting.

 Consultation on revised specialty guidance on supporting information for revalidation

A revised College and Faculty guidance document, produced in conjunction with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), provides generic guidance with paediatric specialty specific additions on the supporting information required by all doctors for appraisal and revalidation. Following consultation with College Specialty Advisory Committees on the content, we now welcome our members and fellows thoughts and comments on both the generic and specialty guidance in this document prior to final review by the AoMRC.  This document aims to simplify previous College and Faculty guidance and complement recently published GMC guidance. Comments are welcomed via email to revalidation@rcpch.ac.uk by 16 September 2011.   Guidance on supporting information for revalidation for paediatrics (13 pages, 134KB) 

 Final report of England revalidation pathfinder pilot findings published  

The independent evaluation of the Revalidation Pathfinder Pilots in England has just been published by the Department of Health England and Revalidation Support Team (RST). According to the report summary, key findings include: simplification fo supporting information is needed, increased time for strengthened appraisals is not excessive, common standards for appraisals are welcomed, appraisal quality was improved, key areas for evaluating standards of practice and how patient care can be improved have been identified. The summary report, technical annex, FAQs and press release for the final report are available from the RST website.

RST publishes information management and technology FAQs

The Revalidation Support Team (RST) in England has published its information management and technology (IMT) FAQs, which explain the support the RST will provide in this area, to enable trusts and Responsible Officers to plan information management work.

The RST will also be publishing guidance in four main areas:

• Information sources and flows
• Management and quality assurance information
• Functionality of information management systems
• Information sharing and governance

Guidance will be available on the first three areas from October 2011 and on the last one from December 2011.

There will not be a standard national computerised system for appraisal in England. However, the RST is exploring the viability of developing a Responsible Officer (RO) dashboard, which will help ROs track the doctors they are responsible for and keep appraisal and performance information in one place. If approved, this will be available by April 2012.

Find out more at the RST website

NAPCE appraisal and revalidation conference (27-28 September 2011, Birmingham)

This conference will provide updates for those who need to make revalidation and appraisal happen in their organisations on current thinking, guidance and legislation.

Nick Lyons, Programme Director for Testing and Piloting at the RST will present on the Medical Appraisal Guide (MAG) and its implications for appraisers and their training.

Find out more at the RST website 

GMC launches new guidance on patient and colleague feedback tools

The GMC has recently published a new piece of guidance to support revalidation: a series of helpful checklists for those who will be involved in commissioning, developing, administering (and indeed using) colleague and patient questionnaires.

Feedback from colleagues and feedback from patients (or parents/carers) will be two pieces of supporting information that doctors will need to collect and bring to their annual appraisal. The recent GMC guidance, supporting information for appraisal and revalidation, outlined the full list of supporting information that doctors will need to provide (with the help of their employers). These checklists should be read in conjunction with that document and the RCPCH paediatric version of the Supporting Information guidance (due out Summer 2011). 

Revalidation Support Team (RST) launches monthly Responsible Officer newsletters

Those appointed as Responsible Officers or involved in preparing their organisations for revalidation may be interested in a series of monthly newsletters issued by the Revalidation Support Team (RST) in England.  To access the newsletters, go to the RST website.

The GMC has launched new appraisal guidance for revalidation

The new guidance sets out how doctors can show that they are meeting the professional standards on which good practice is founded. It also outlines the core supporting information that all doctors will need to bring to their annual appraisal, regardless of where they work in the UK or their area of practice.
The guidance is intended to help doctors and employers prepare for the launch of revalidation at the end of 2012.  Employers are being asked to make sure that every doctor can access the supporting information outlined in the guidance.

The guidance is based on the principles set out in Good Medical Practice, the core ethical guidance for the medical profession. The aim is for all doctors to discuss how they have met these core principles at their annual appraisals. However, the new guidance makes clear that doctors will not be expected to mechanistically map supporting information to principles set out in Good Medical Practice.  Specialty-specific guidance on supporting information which will complement the core supporting information outlined by the GMC will be available later this year.

NHS Employers revalidation webinar 7 April 1-2pm - summary of discussions

NHS Employers delivered a free online webinar for those involved in delivering revalidation in their organisations who want to find out about latest information on national policy and process.

Those attending:

• heard the latest information on how revalidation is being delivered across the NHS, including the process, policy and key milestones;
• found out about the work of the NHS Revalidation Support Team and its work with the pilot sites;
• found out what the must-do’s are for NHS organisations and what support is, and will be available;
• heard from one of the pilot sites about their experience of implementing revalidation, including key lessons learnt and top tips.
• heard representatives from General Medical Council (GMC), NHS Revalidation Support Team (RST), Revalidation pathfinder pilot site, NHS Employers.

The summary of the session including presentations is now available from the NHS Employers website

Health Select Committee pronounces on revalidation

Following a brief consultation period, the Health Select Committee (HSC) has released its report on revalidation, following submission of oral evidence by the General Medical Council, British Medical Association and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and written evidence from a range of institutions and individuals. In summary the HSC reports:

• There should be no further delays to implementation of revalidation by the GMC by late 2012;
• GMC must be confident that all organisations employing doctors have robust appraisal systems in place prior to the start of revalidation;
• There is support for the view that revalidation should be a single, simpler and more flexible process, as suggested in the GMC consultation, integrated into appraisal and clinical governance systems;
• Doctors should not need to provide vast quantities of documentation and effective systems for clinical governance should already capture much of what is required;
• Revalidation should both aim to improve practice and also identify inadequate and potentially dangerous doctors;
• GMC should further review the processes and best practice for obtaining colleague and patient feedback including frequency of such feedback;
• GMC should further clarify how doctors not engaged in clinical practice can revalidate;
• GMC must undertake further work around Responsible Officers (ROs). This includes providing detailed GMC guidance for managing cases of poorly performing doctors and the use of 'remediation', GMC guidance for handling conflicts of interest between employers and doctors, and clarity of where ROs will sit following the restructuring of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs);
• GMC should be directly responsible to Parliament via the Health Select Committee, rather than to the Privy Council.

The full report is available from the UK Parliament website

Health Select Committee call for evidence on revalidation

The RCPCH, along with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and other bodies submitted written evidence to the Health Select Committee (HSC) on revalidation. The College Health Select Committee response.pdf (3 pages, 18KB) to the call for evidence along with that of the AoMRC response provide useful updates on revalidation issues.  Oral evidence was also given by the AoMRC and the British Medical Association (BMA) to the HSC.

Revalidation due to commence end 2012

The GMC statement of intent.pdf(4 pages, 464KB), agreed with the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Deputy CMO in Scotland and the Medical Director NHS (England) which confirms that revalidation is expected to commence at the end of 2012. This supports information released in the GMC revalidation consultation analysis.

GMC consultation analysis released

The GMC has published the analysis of its revalidation consultation responses The full report summarises key themes and recommendations for further work. In particular further work is needed to simplify and streamline processes and frameworks, provide flexibility for non mainstream and non clinical doctors,provide greater clarity and guidance on expectations for doctors and processes following recommendations by Responsible Officers. The RCPCH Revalidation Development Committee will be working with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to identify areas for improvement in specialty frameworks and guidance materials.

RCPCH revalidation guidance now available

The College has produced two new guidance documents for paediatricians about revalidation. The first is a Revalidation key facts leaflet.pdf  (2 pages, 180 KB) an essential read for any paediatrician.  The second is the Revalidation guidance.pdf (41 pages, 384 KB) including the RCPCH standards framework for revalidation. The latter is a guide that will be regularly updated as more details emerge about the final revalidation processes from the GMC and the RCPCH.

Revalidation first stage project reports published

Reports from five initial research projects into revalidation have been published. These first stage project reports are available from the Revalidation Support Team website and cover research in the primary, secondary and independent sectors as well as research on locums and doctors in special circumstances.

College response to GMC revalidation consultation

The RCPCH revalidation consultation response.pdf (18 pages, 85 KB)to the General Medical Council (GMC)consultation on revalidation is available to access.

Secretary of State extends revalidation pilots until 2012

Following recent comments on the General Medical Council (GMC) consultation by the British Medical Association (BMA) and other bodies, the England Secretary of State for Health has written a letter to the GMC to ask for revalidation pilots in England, due to complete in April 2011, to be extended until April 2012.

His view is that this will allow further time for pilot sites to gather and evaluate evidence on all aspects of revalidation, including costs, benefits and practicalities of implementation. It will also help to engage the profession, employers and the public before moving to full implementation.

College involved in England pathfinder pilots

The College is acting as an Academy of Medical Royal Colleges link to one of the new revalidation pathfinder pilots which began January 2010. Further information is available on the RCPCH approach section.

GMC consultation on revalidation launched

All those involved or affected by revalidation are being asked to take part in a major GMC consultation to help shape the process. The consultation launches 1 March 2010 and runs for three months.

The consultation covers four main themes:

• How revalidation will work
• What doctors and employers will need to do
• How patients will be involved
• How and when revalidation will be introduced

This is the last chance for doctors to have their say about the process, so paediatricians are strongly encouraged to respond. The RCPCH will also submit a formal response to the GMC. To access the consultation directly, go to the GMC consultation website.

GMC approved paediatric specialty standards for recertification

Following a lengthy development and review process, the RCPCH specialty standards for recertification were submitted to the GMC in December 2009 and approved for use in January 2010. The standards will now form part of a wider public consultation by the GMC beginning March 2010 before being used in Department of Health pilots in England in 2010-mid 2011. RCPCH and other Colleges' standards can be accessed from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges website.

GMC publishes latest Revalidation FAQs

The GMC has updated its Frequently Asked Questions on the Revalidation process. View the latest FAQs now. The guide will provide useful information to anyone interested in finding out more about current processes and will be updated as the Revalidation processes develops further