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Revalidation: The Faculty’s position
As the Faculty prepares its application to the Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PMETB) for sub-specialty recognition consideration is also being given to establishing a revalidation process.
Revalidation may be defined as set of procedures to evaluate a medical practitioner’s fitness to practice and is a condition of continuing to hold a licence to practise.
Specific details of medical revalidation are contained in the Government White paper “Trust, Assurance and Safety – The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century” published in February 2007.
Medical revalidation will have two core components relicensure and specialist recertification.
All doctors practicing in the UK will require a licence to practice issued by the General Medical Council (GMC). Licences to practice are to be issued as soon as practical and relicensure will consist of annual appraisals with one multisource feedback evaluation within those 5 years. Organised locally these processes will be guided by a revised GMC appraisal process and based on a local clinical governance structure. It is anticipated appraisal will be relaunched and commence in 2009.
The revamped appraisal will be based on the recently modified good medical practice document. An example of the revamped appraise included both personal and organisational element:-
Essential (Personal)
Good clinical care
Maintaining good medical practice
Relationship with colleagues
Relationship with patients
Health
Probidity
Essential (Organisational)
Local audit of clinical work
Patient satisfaction survey
These will be assessed using continuous professional development, multi source feedback, case based reflection, complaints, questionnaires and reflection notes.
The second stage of revalidation is recertification and applies to doctors, specialists and general practice registers and requires them to demonstrate that they continue to meet defined standards both generic and specialty specific.
Specialist recertification will take place every five years for those on a specialist register. The Faculty, whilst currently defining both a curriculum and assessment system for the specialty of pre-hospital medicine will also have to define clear standards that reflect the revamped “Good medical practice” document the process of recertification. Although yet to be further discussed and agreed the assessments may include
Continuous professional development
Observation of clinical practice
Simulator tests
Clinical audit
Appointment
Patient feedback
Much of the work is being undertaken by Dr Rod McKenzie, Dr Darren Walter, Dr John Scott, Dr Richard Fairhurst and myself. Further work will consider establishing an electronic portfolio, setting up a specialty “standards board” and a CPD committee director.
These are exciting and challenging times for the Faculty. Your views, opinions and ideas are always welcome.
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