Frequently Asked Questions
I AM moving abroad, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
"The golden rule when planning to spend time outside the UK is to plan your re-entry before going.
Please contact your responsible officer (usually via your appraisal team) for advice at least three months before you leave.
If your plans change while you are away, contact [the team] to discuss."
Please contact your responsible officer (usually via your appraisal team) for advice at least three months before you leave.
If your plans change while you are away, contact [the team] to discuss."
Guidance for a GP planning to spend time abroad (ROAN, April 2018)
"We expect you to collect supporting information from practice you undertake in the UK.
Only in exceptional circumstances would a doctor with supporting information drawn wholly or substantively from overseas practice be able to maintain their UK licence to practise.
Responsible officers or suitable persons may decide to accept supporting information from overseas practice if they are satisfied that it meets the same standards as those expected in the UK and so gives them assurance about your continued fitness to practise.
Speak to your responsible officer or suitable person if you intend to practise overseas while holding a UK licence to practise."
Only in exceptional circumstances would a doctor with supporting information drawn wholly or substantively from overseas practice be able to maintain their UK licence to practise.
Responsible officers or suitable persons may decide to accept supporting information from overseas practice if they are satisfied that it meets the same standards as those expected in the UK and so gives them assurance about your continued fitness to practise.
Speak to your responsible officer or suitable person if you intend to practise overseas while holding a UK licence to practise."
Induction & Refresher Scheme Portfolio Route
for returners to the UK
The Portfolio route is designed for:
- doctors who have previously worked independently and unsupervised as a general practitioner in the UK and have had a break of up to ten years from NHS general practice, while working as a general practitioner overseas, and now want to return to work in England
- doctors who moved overseas to work as a general practitioner soon after gaining their CCT or CEGPR in the UK and have had a break of up to ten years from NHS general practice, while working as a general practitioner overseas, and now want to work in England.
How does maternity leave / sick leave / sabbatical affect my appraisal?
If you have to postpone your appraisal you need to apply to the appraisals team.
There is guidance and a form to complete. Your appraiser does not have the authority to authorise a postponement beyond the end of your appraisal month. |
I want to stop doing GP work. Do i still need an appraisal?
If you have a license to practice medicine you will need an annual appraisal.
You can apply to the GMC to give up your license.
If you want to give up GP work but to continue to have a license to practice medicine, you can apply to leave the GP performers list.
Complete the form NLP3 and email it to [email protected], putting NPL3 in the email subject line.
In this case the GMC will ask you to identify a connection to a new responsible officer who will take on the responsibility for arranging your appraisals and revalidation.
You can apply to the GMC to give up your license.
If you want to give up GP work but to continue to have a license to practice medicine, you can apply to leave the GP performers list.
Complete the form NLP3 and email it to [email protected], putting NPL3 in the email subject line.
In this case the GMC will ask you to identify a connection to a new responsible officer who will take on the responsibility for arranging your appraisals and revalidation.
I don't like my appraiser. what can i do?
There is a formal process for appealing against the allocation of an appraiser.
Can I have an appraisal via video link?
Only under certain strictly defined circumstances.
See ROAN Info Sheet 32: Technology-assisted appraisals (July 2019).
See ROAN Info Sheet 32: Technology-assisted appraisals (July 2019).
What if I work fewer than 40 sessions each year?
"During the annual appraisal, the GP should declare that they have worked fewer than 40 clinical sessions in the 12 months since their last appraisal (or pro rata).
The GP should include within their discussion of their scope of practice a low volume of clinical work SRT to demonstrate their reflection on their continued ability to provide safe, good-quality patient care in their clinical role, or roles. This low volume of clinical work SRT [Standardised Reflective Template] should form the basis of a professional discussion with the appraiser. The appraiser should make a record of the reflective discussion relating to the low volume of clinical work SRT in the appraisal summary. The reflection and discussion should provide appropriate supporting information to allow the appraiser to make affirmative output statements at the end of the appraisal. In the rare circumstance that the reflection and discussion does not provide immediate reassurance that the GP is able to provide safe clinical care, relevant output statements will be disagreed, an explanation must be given and any issues addressed through appropriate PDP goals. In these cases, the responsible officer will need to be informed. In extreme cases, the GP will need to relinquish their clinical practice." (RCGP, August 2018) |
Low volume of clinical work Structured Reflective Template (RCGP, August 2018)
Supporting doctors who undertake a low volume of general practice clinical work (NHS England, June 2018) Supporting doctors who undertake a low volume of general practice clinical work (RCGP, August 2018) |
Can I postpone my appraisal?
"There are circumstances when a doctor may request that an appraisal is deferred such that no appraisal takes place during one appraisal year (which runs 1 April to March 31), or that the appraisal is postponed to take place later than the last day of their appraisal month.
Doctors may request a postponement of an appraisal due to:
It may be appropriate to postpone appraisal if a doctor is suspended or excluded from work, but it may also be appropriate to continue with appraisal and the individual circumstances in such situations should be considered on their own merit by the relevant NHS England responsible officer. This list is not exhaustive and other reasons may also be identified." (NHS England, May 2015) |
Prior to submitting a formal request for postponement of appraisal, you may choose to seek informal advice from the local clinical lead for appraisal.
Application to delay an annual appraisal must be made using the form below. Approval for a delay can not be made by your appraiser - submit the form via the Appraisal Coordinators at least 28 days before the end of your appraisal month. Postponement of an appraisal request (NHS England, May 2015) |
How do i get an appraiser?
Appraisal and revalidation are regulated by the General Medical Council.
They are responsible for registering suitably qualified doctors who want to work in the UK. They are also responsible for ensuring each doctor has a Responsible Officer, or Suitable Person who will organise the appraisals and revalidation process. GPs who are registered with the GMC and who are on the NHS GP Performers List can use the Find my area team tool to contact their Responsible Officer. |
Can I revalidate with only 4 appraisals?
"Annual whole practice appraisal is a key part of revalidation.
You must participate in a whole practice appraisal every year unless there are clear and reasonable mitigating circumstances that prevent you from doing so.
For example, you might not have had an appraisal one year because you were on maternity leave or long term sickness absence.
Providing there are clear and reasonable mitigating circumstances, we do not
require you to ‘catch up’ on appraisals and you do not have to complete five appraisals to revalidate.
You should discuss and agree this with your responsible officer before any period of prolonged absence, or as soon as you know how long you are going to be away from work."
You must participate in a whole practice appraisal every year unless there are clear and reasonable mitigating circumstances that prevent you from doing so.
For example, you might not have had an appraisal one year because you were on maternity leave or long term sickness absence.
Providing there are clear and reasonable mitigating circumstances, we do not
require you to ‘catch up’ on appraisals and you do not have to complete five appraisals to revalidate.
You should discuss and agree this with your responsible officer before any period of prolonged absence, or as soon as you know how long you are going to be away from work."
Supporting information for appraisal and revalidation (GMC, March 2018)
my revalidation date and appraisal date are very close. should i tell someone?
YES PLEASE! Tell your appraiser.
The Revalidation Advisory Group (RAG) will meet about two months prior to your appraisal date to review your progress.
They advise the responsible officer, who sits on that group, whether each GP has met the requirements for a recommendation to the GMC to revalidate.
If you have had satisfactory appraisals since your last revalidation, and there are no outstanding performance issues, a recommendation will be made to the GMC to revalidate.
If there is anything which might prevent that recommendation, there is still time to rectify the problem.
So you should get that last appraisal done at least two months before your revalidation date.
Also you must have an appraisal within 365 days of your revalidation date.
Your appraiser will then review with you what, if anything, needs to be done get you "revalidation ready".
You can arrange your appraisal any time up to three months before the end of your appraisal month.
The Revalidation Advisory Group (RAG) will meet about two months prior to your appraisal date to review your progress.
They advise the responsible officer, who sits on that group, whether each GP has met the requirements for a recommendation to the GMC to revalidate.
If you have had satisfactory appraisals since your last revalidation, and there are no outstanding performance issues, a recommendation will be made to the GMC to revalidate.
If there is anything which might prevent that recommendation, there is still time to rectify the problem.
So you should get that last appraisal done at least two months before your revalidation date.
Also you must have an appraisal within 365 days of your revalidation date.
Your appraiser will then review with you what, if anything, needs to be done get you "revalidation ready".
You can arrange your appraisal any time up to three months before the end of your appraisal month.