The Scottish Government has secured the support of a secondee from NHSScotland to support implementation in Scotland of medical revalidation. Mr Ian Finlay took up the post of Senior Medical Officer (Medical Revalidation) on 1 February 2010, for further information, please click here.
The final report of the UK Medical Education and Revalidation Working Group Medical revalidation - principles and next steps was published on 23 July 2008. This document clearly lays out the principles which underpin re-licensure, recertification and revalidation of doctors. However, for the most up to date information on medical revalidation you should always visit www.gmc-uk.org/revalidation
Since 16 November 2009, any doctor practising medicine in the UK is required not only to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), but also to hold a licence to practise. All the professional activities that were previously restricted by law to doctors who were registered with the GMC are now restricted to doctors who are registered with the GMC and hold a licence to practise. These activities include, but are not limited to, prescribing, signing death and cremation certificates, and holding certain posts in the NHS and independent sector.
All doctors who hold a licence to practise will in the future be required to participate in revalidation. Revalidation is the process by which doctors will have to demonstrate to the GMC, normally every five years, that they are up to date and fit to practise, and are complying with the relevant professional standards.
Revalidation should not create unnecessary burdens but be proportionate to the risk it addresses and the benefit it brings. The information required will be drawn from actual practice, from feedback from patients and colleagues, and from participation in CPD. This information will feed into doctors' annual appraisal. The outputs from appraisal will lead to a recommendation to the GMC from the doctor's Responsible Officer (see below), normally every five years, about the doctor's suitability for revalidation. For most doctors this process will be quite straightforward.
On 4 June 2009, the GMC published a comprehensive set of 'Frequently Asked Questions' which can be accessed at http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/licensing/index.asp This document include a helpful glossary which explains all new or unfamiliar terms, including "Responsible Officer".
Responsible Officer Regulations
A UK consultation on draft Responsible Officer regulations and associated guidance was undertaken by the Department of Health (DH) in 2009. The responses were considered for the final regulations - the Medical Professions (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010 - which were laid at Westminster on 26 July 2010 and came into operation on 1 January 2011. The response to the consultation, the Regulations, the associated Impact Assessment and guidance can all be accessed at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Responsibleofficers/index.htm.
The Regulations designate which organisations have to have Responsible Officers and what their duties are. They also specify additional statutory clinical governance duties for Responsible Officers in England only.
Statement of Intent on Medical Revalidation
In response to the outcomes of the GMC's Consultation on revalidation, the GMC published on 18 October 2010 a Statement of Intent, agreed by all four UK administrations, that sets out the key milestones that employers will need to meet before revalidation is commenced. The Statement of Intent can be viewed via the link at the bottom of this page.
The Secretary of State for Health responded to the GMC consultation by welcoming it and indicating that the pilot stage in England will be extended by one year to strengthen the evidence base. This effectively delays the start of medical revalidation.
Scotland will proceed on a similar timetable to England, and the extra time will allow us to reach a state of full readiness for revalidation, including implementation of strengthened appraisal for our doctors. Much progress has already been made in Scotland, due to the continuing commitment of all our stakeholders, and we will maintain our current pace as we move towards a system of revalidation that is robust, but also proportionate and affordable.
You can find out more by visiting www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/revalidation.asp