Appraisal and Revalidation

Revalidation is a process where all licensed doctors demonstrate to the General Medical Council (GMC) they are up-to-date and fit to practise. It is important doctors keep their portfolios updated to demonstrate how they meet GMC requirements.

Revalidation is based on a local evaluation of a doctor’s performances through annual appraisal. Doctors provide a core set of supporting information over each revalidation cycle at their appraisal. The information from the appraisal is assessed by a responsible officer who makes a revalidation recommendation to the GMC, normally every five years.

All licensed doctors need to maintain a portfolio of supporting information reflecting their practice and demonstrating how they meet the requirements described in Good Medical Practice Framework for appraisal and revalidation. By providing evidence of supporting information for learning activities, annual appraisal enables the Responsible Officer to make a recommendation to revalidate the doctor. The online portfolio has the option to allow doctors to store and categorise supporting evidence.

How the RCOphth can support you

The RCOphth works with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and produced guidance for ophthalmologists on the Supporting Information required for Appraisal and Revalidation.

This guidance describes the portfolio of supporting information that doctors will need to maintain to revalidate based on their specialty expertise. This specialty guidance should be read in conjunction with generic revalidation guidance provided by the GMC.

Confidential revalidation support

We will respond directly to generic enquiries on revalidation. Enquiries that need specialty advice will be forwarded via email to our revalidation adviser.

All identifiable information of the enquirer will be redacted before forwarding, to protect the enquirer’s anonymity. The revalidation adviser will respond to the enquiry through the RCOphth rather than directly to the enquirer.

More information

Get in touch with RCOphth for advice and support on revalidation [email protected].

Preparing for Revalidation and Appraisal

Information from other organisations

GMC Coronavirus (COVID-19) – update on revalidation for doctors

As health services recover from the pandemic, the GMC understand the pressures the profession remains under. They are continuing to support doctors to prepare for revalidation. There are options available for doctors who are not ready to revalidate by their scheduled date.

Supporting organisations engaging with locums and doctors in short-term placements: A practical guide for healthcare providers, locum agencies and revalidation management services

This NHS England guidance is for any individual or organisation engaging with locum and short-term placement doctors, who often do not have easy access to to systems or structures in place to support their CPD, appraisal, revalidation and governance. This guidance highlights ways they may be supported to provide safe provision of healthcare as a valuable part of the workforce.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland: Medical revalidation

Healthcare Improvement Scotland have produced a series of reports which follow the journey of revalidation in Scotland and provide a detailed national overview of progress, highlight achievements and areas where further work is needed.

Department of Health Northern Ireland: Revalidation

The Revalidation Implementation Plan for N Ireland has been approved by the Confidence in Care Programme Board. Implementation is based on a core set of principles agreed by the GMC and the four UK health departments.