From Thursday 30 November, the standard that CESR applications are assessed against will change from Equivalence to CCT to Knowledge, Skills, and Experience (KSE), required for practising as an eligible specialist in the UK. The process will change from CESR and will be known as the Portfolio Route.
The change means that applicants will no longer have to show equivalence to what a trainee does and allows applicants who can demonstrate they have the skills, knowledge, and experience to join the Specialist Register. The College will continue to evaluate CESR applications on behalf of the GMC.
This has been a big change for the College, and we have worked collaboratively with the GMC and other Colleges to reduce the volume of evidence applicants provide and make the application process simpler. The change was supported by Sarah Maling (Chair of Training Committee), Mohamed Elalfy and Jay Bandyopadhyay (CESR Co-Chairs), who have guaranteed the best outcomes for ophthalmologists by ensuring that high standards are maintained.
The legislation comes into action on 30 November 2023, and we will be ready to start accepting evaluations and providing guidance to applicants from this start date.