"Following feedback from doctors and others we’ve updated our guidance on what’s required for appraisal for revalidation – our Guidance on supporting information for appraisal and revalidation (GMC, March 2018).

We’ve not changed the information you need to collect and reflect on, but have updated our guidance to try and make it more helpful. 

Key improvements include:

• More guidance on the balance between the quality and quantity of supporting information needed for appraisal for revalidation so you don’t feel pressured to gather too much evidence
• Explaining that we do not set either a minimum or a maximum quantity of supporting information that you need to collect
• Emphasising that, although you must participate in a whole practice appraisal every year unless there are mitigating circumstances preventing you from doing so (for example if you were on long term sick or on maternity leave), it should be a developmental experience as appraisal and revalidation are not pass or fail exercises
• More information about how you should collect feedback from colleagues, including how colleagues should be selected
• Reinforcing the importance of doctors who have multiple roles gathering and reflecting on information that covers the whole of their practice.
• A new section to provide clearer guidance on our requirements for doctors in training and more direction for doctors who may find collecting certain aspects of supporting information difficult."

Written reflective practice in appraisals (NHSE, 15 02 2018) is a letter to provide clarification over the use of written reflective practice in appraisals.

​This follows recent (December 2017) high profile discussion of this topic following the tragic death of a young boy, Jack Adcock, and the subsequent legal proceedings against Dr Bawa-Garba.

​The Medical Director for NHS England (South South West), Dr Caroline Gamlin issued an email "Key messages arising from the High Court" (NHSE SSW, 13 02 2018) containing Confidentiality of reflections for appraisal guidance (NHSE SSW, 13 02 2018).

The folk at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges​ have published a paper with the snappy title, "Improving feedback and reflection to improve learning A practical guide for trainees and trainers".

It is clearly aimed at doctors who are in training posts and their trainers, but the pages on "Guidance on reflection" (p.7) and "Guidance on feedback" (p8) are well worth a read.

Insights include,

• reflection is a cyclical process
• feedback from the trainer [appraiser?] is important
• calibration by the trainer [appraiser?] is important
• "Without feedback, reflection amounts only to teaching oneself." 

​

Each year the doctor should send you last year's summary and PDP, but some don't. In my experience most don't.

If you were last year's appraiser it isn't difficult to view last year's documents in the revalidation management system (RMS). Just go to "Acting as Appraiser" then click on "View".

At the top of the page select last year's tab and you should be able to download any documents which are there.

However, if you were NOT their appraiser for last year, that route is blocked, for some mysterious reason. 

But it is possible by following the instructions in this PowerPoint presentation:
How to view last year's documents (Simon Barton, 2018).

One caveat though: if the doctor had his or her revalidation after last year's appraisal this method probably won't work.

Following the earlier success of the national coaching programme, NHS England are offering fully funded one-to-one tailored coaching for GPs.

You will gain three 90-minute confidential sessions by highly experienced and qualified coaches to help you think through where you are and where you want to be in today’s challenging and changing environment.

This forward-looking, action-orientated, positive and personal approach will help you identify goals for the next steps that can give you satisfaction and fulfilment, and support you to make them happen.  

​This programme is open to all GPs and we have 300 places to fill in total for 2017-2018 cohort.
 
Places are limited on a first-come-first-serve basis by 31 January 2018. Click here to register your interest here. 
 
This coaching is offered to GPs only. We would be grateful if you can help cascade this information to your team.  For further questions, please contact our procured provider:  admin@beyond-consultants.co.uk                      

Sir James Pearson conducted a review of revalidation and published his report in January 2017.

The GMC published it's action plan arising from that report in July 2017.

The GMC’s programme manager for Taking Revalidation Forward, Helen Arrowsmith says in her blog,

"If you have a suggestion about how to improve appraisal or revalidation processes locally, it’s best to speak to your employer or responsible officer.

We would love to hear from you if you have examples of good practice which we can share more widely, or if there’s a key area you’d like us to provide advice on in our communications.

To share your views with us, please comment below or email TakingRevalForward@gmc-uk.org."

The Royal College of General Practitioners runs teaching sessions in each locality, many of which are free to members and non-members alike.

Free evening sessions are run in Bristol, Bath, Truro, Plymouth, Exeter and throughout the UK.

They also run minor surgery courses.

See their listing pages which are regularly updated.

MARACs - multi-agency risk assessment conference resources are available from the safelives.org.uk website.

These resources include information sharing protocols, guidance for GPs and a MARAC referral form.

See our Safeguarding page too.

How to find or set up a clinical governance group - our very own "dating service"!
​
​See the new page Clinical governance groups.