NHS Greater and Clyde

Revalidation Update

Secondary Care – Consultants and Specialty Doctors

This is the first of updates on revalidation for Consultants and Specialty Doctors in NHSGGC including clinical academics employed by the with an Honorary Consultant Contract with NHSGGC. In addition to these notes, we will be preparing online information on StaffNet and roadshows for medical staff.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has indicated that they expect to be given the green light to proceed with revalidation this summer. They anticipate that they will begin to receive Responsible Officer recommendations from 2013 onwards. The GMC has been clear that revalidation is part of a wider system measure to promote improvement in patient safety. It is neither a pass/fail test nor a new way to raise concerns about a doctor. Likewise it is not the only purpose of appraisal.

Following the issue of a notice for revalidation, the Responsible Officer will be able to make one of three recommendations to the GMC. Based upon information received they can; recommend for revalidation, request more time (deferral) before a decision is made by GMC for example if the doctor is on maternity leave or notify the GMC that the doctor has failed to engage with the process despite sufficient opportunity and support. Following the Responsible Officer recommendation, the GMC will decide what action to take next. Revalidation will be supported by a number of online initiatives from the GMC and in particular it is recommended that doctors register with GMC Online. http://www.gmc‐ uk.org/doctors/information_for_doctors/gmc_online.asp Over the next 9 months or so doctors will be contacted by the GMC to confirm their designated body, in this case NHSGGC, and Responsible Officer (see below).

We anticipate that the first tranche of revalidation in will largely depend on information gleaned from appraisal during the 2012‐13 cycle. We are told that 20% of doctors will be randomly chosen from those registered in Scotland. For 2012‐13 those with a 4 or 6 as the penultimate number of their GMC reference number have been chosen and will be the first to revalidate. It is important that these doctors complete multisource colleague feedback (15 colleagues) and patient feedback (25 patients) if relevant, as is suggested in the Scottish Government guidance on appraisal due to be finalised and published at the end of April.

April 2012 Appraiser/appraisee pairings will be generated by directorates in most cases. University appraisers will be nominated by the University of Glasgow and will be responsible to conduct the joint appraisal of clinical academics together with the nominated NHS appraiser. GGC intends all consultants (including clinical academics with an Honorary Consultant Contract) and specialty doctors to use the new Scottish Online Appraisal Resource (SOAR) and would encourage you to register now. This will assist recording and quality control of appraisers. It is likely that a Scotland wide Multi‐Source Feedback (MSF) will be incorporated into the SOAR system in the near future. https://online.scottishappraisal.scot.nhs.uk/Login.aspx

In our last audit in NHSGGC, a substantial minority of doctors did not appear to have a recorded appraisal, therefore, all Consultants and SAS doctors employed by GGC should ensure that they complete an appraisal in readiness for revalidation starting at the end of 2012. Appraisal may take place anytime from April 2012 – December 2012.

Information from appraisal and other sources such as clinical governance data allows the Responsible Officer to confidently make recommendations to the GMC regarding revalidation. The Responsible Officer in GGC is the Medical Director who from 1st April 2012 is Dr Jennifer Armstrong. The Appraisal Lead for secondary care is Prof Paul Knight ([email protected]). The Responsible Officer for trainees is Dr Stewart Irvine the Medical Director of NHS Education for Scotland.

The overall system of appraisal and Responsible Officer recommendations will be overseen in Scotland by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

Currently a number of appraisers in secondary care have gone through NES approval training but more will be needed to ensure all appraisers are trained and up to date. Appraisers should be nominated by their directorate and will be responsible to their clinical leads for the performance of that duty. Information on Appraiser Training, including training dates and details of the application process, can be downloaded from the medical staffing intranet site. http://www.staffnet.ggc.scot.nhs.uk/Human%20Resources/Medical%20Staffing /Consultants/Pages/default.aspx

A system of governance for appraisal and revalidation has been agreed by the Corporate Management Group.

April 2012