What is the purpose of revalidation?
The purpose of revalidation of a Doctor’s Licence to Practise is to give patients greater confidence in the profession and support the individual in maintaining and improving their practice.
What is a Responsible Officer?
This is a senior clinician in a Designated Body who ensures that the doctors for whom they act in this nominated capacity, continue to practise safely and are properly supported and managed in maintaining their professional standards
Who is my Responsible Officer?
Your Responsible Officer (RO), as a postgraduate trainee in the North Western Deanery, is Professor Jacky Hayden.
How can I find out further information?
The GMC have information on their website which can be found at http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/revalidation/12383.asp
What do I need to do for the revalidation process?
You will already produce much or all of the evidence required for revalidation as a matter of course during your training, through meeting the requirements of your curriculum and periodic discussions with your educational supervisor. Specialty trainees will need to complete an enhanced Form R. The Form R is the document that all Specialty trainees sign annually, and this enhanced version requires you to answer questions about whether you have been involved in any complaints or investigated incidents over the last year. You will need to send this form back to the appropriate Deanery person, and you will be given full contact details.
In relation to completing the Enhanced Form R, what is a significant event?
The GMC state that a significant event (also known as an untoward or critical incident) is any unintended or unexpected event, which could or did lead to harm of one or more patients. This includes incidents which did not cause harm but could have done, or where the event should have been prevented, which is significant enough to be investigated by your employing organisation.
It is an expectation that all doctors as part of the requirements for revalidation are required to record and reflect on significant events in their work with the focus on what they have learnt as a result of the event/s. You only need to record this information on your form R if any formal investigations have not been completed and resolved, or if they have not been included in your portfolio.
The Enhanced Form R asks for the last revalidation date, what should I enter?
This field is to capture those trainees who have already revalidated previously and will not be used until the first revalidations take place with the GMC. For this year you should leave this blank.
The Enhanced Form R asks for my revalidation date, what should I enter?
The GMC set revalidation dates based on trainees’ expected CCT dates plus 60 days* or to 5 years after revalidation commenced for trainees (1st April 2013), whichever is first. The GMC wrote to every trainee in January 2013 with their revalidation date and you can also find this by logging into your GMC online account. Put that date on your form.
All trainees who revalidate at 5 years, will revalidate again at CCT. For trainees who gain full registration with a licence to practise after April 2013, your revalidation date will be set to 5 years after full registration (or to your expected CCT date where this comes first).
*Submission dates were not scheduled on weekends or public holidays, so this is a 60-day base, plus or minus a few days.
What role does my employer have in my revalidation?
Your employer will be supplying information to the Deanery in order to inform the revalidation process through your ARCP. This is called an exit report and asks the employer about any unresolved concerns about a trainee’s conduct. If there are concerns ongoing the employer should complete an exception report for the Deanery and provide the trainee with a copy.
An exit report will be generated for every episode of employment since the last ARCP, and it is the employers’ responsibility to produce this. A failure of an employer to produce adequate information should not be detrimental to the trainee.
In the case of GP Trainees, where they have undertaken a placement in general practice and been registered on the PCT Medical Performers List, the PCT will also be required to supply information to the Deanery.
This information will be provided under three headings:-
Conduct/capability investigation
The employer will be asked to confirm whether you have been involved in a conduct or capability investigation and to provide a brief summary (the Exception report).
If so, has this been resolved satisfactorily with no unresolved concerns about your conduct
If there are unresolved concerns, they will be asked to give a brief summary (the Exception report) and the anticipated date of the outcome of any investigation.
Serious Untoward Incident/Significant Event investigation
If you have been involved in a Serious Untoward Incident (see GMC definition Q8), whether investigated or not, you should have discussed it with your educational supervisor and reflected on the outcome in your portfolio as part of the normal education appraisal process.
You only need to record this information on your form R if any formal investigations have not been completed and resolved, or if they have not been included in your portfolio.
The employer will be asked if you have been involved in a formal Serious Untoward Incident/Significant Event Investigation and to provide a brief summary (the Exception report).
If so, has this been resolved satisfactorily with no unresolved concerns about your fitness to practice
If there are unresolved concerns, they will be asked to give a brief summary and the anticipated date of the outcome of any investigation
Complaints
If you know you have been involved in a complaint you should have discussed it with your educational supervisor and reflected on the outcome in your portfolio as part of the normal educational appraisal process. You only need to record information on your form R if the investigation has not been completed and resolved, or if they have not been included in your portfolio.
The employer will be asked if you have been named in a complaint and to provide a brief summary (the Exception report).
If so, has this been resolved satisfactorily with no unresolved concerns about your fitness to practice?
If there are unresolved concerns, they will be asked to give a brief summary and the anticipated date of the outcome of any investigation
How often will my employer be asked for this information?
Information will be collected twice per year, in March and November.
How will I know if I have been recommended or not for revalidation?
The recommendation for revalidation to the GMC will occur every 5 years, and again at CCT (plus 60 days), or at the point of CCT (plus 60 days) where this comes first. An ARCP will be held every year and if there are ever any concerns that might affect a trainee’s possible revalidation these will be discussed face-to-face and recorded in the ARCP outcome form. The outcome of ARCP panels should always be passed to the trainee and their employer.
You will receive a formal notification of your revalidation decision from the GMC.
How is my grace period accounted for?
The Dean will remain the Responsible Officer until the end of the period of grace.
Who is the Postgraduate Dean responsible for?
The Postgraduate Dean is only responsible for Trainees in GMC approved Deanery training programmes and posts. This will include LATs and trainees who are currently out of programme. The Postgraduate Dean is NOT responsible for any locums including LASs, Trust grade jobs, staff grade posts and other non-training grade posts.
If I get an outcome other than a 1 in my ARCP does that mean I will not get revalidation?
Not at all. It is quite possible to get an outcome 3 or 4 for failure to pass key exams, but unless there are other problems (e.g. conduct or health) it would have no effect on your revalidation decision.
What happens if I am absent for a period of time or have a break from my training programme; what effect will this have on my revalidation?
If you are absent or take a break from the training programme which is approved by the deanery (meaning that you do not give up your training number), then your revalidation date and prescribed connection will remain the same, and you do not need to do anything else. This might include taking up an out of programme training or research post, or going on maternity or long term sick leave. If your revalidation date happens to fall whilst you are out of training, your Responsible Officer will have the option to defer your revalidation. Deferral of the revalidation recommendation does not have any impact on your licence to practise, and is not a detrimental judgement.