Introduction to Revalidation
A message from the FOM’s Responsible Officer
Welcome to the Revalidation and CPD hub of the FOM website, designed to assist you with your annual appraisal and revalidation.
The GMC’s direction of travel is one of targeted and focused reflection on key beneficial activities, and feedback at annual appraisal. We hope the content of the hub will assist colleagues in occupational medicine achieving that goal.
Dr Danny Wong
FFOM & Responsible Officer
The FOM’s RO can be contacted at ro@fom.ac.uk
What is Revalidation?
The purpose of revalidation is to assure patients and the public, employers and other healthcare professionals that licensed doctors are up to date and fit to practise.
Doctors who wish to keep their licence to practise in the UK will need to revalidate, i.e. they will need to demonstrate to the General Medical Council (GMC) periodically – normally every 5 years – that they are fit to practise and up to date, by complying with the relevant professional standards. Revalidation came into effect on 3rd December 2012.
The GMC is the regulating body and the main driver for revalidation. Other stakeholders include:
- Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC)
- NHS England
- NHS Employers
What does Revalidation involve?
You will be expected to participate in an annual appraisal and will be required to collect information about your professional practice which demonstrates that you are practising to the appropriate standards. This supporting information will provide the basis for discussion at your annual appraisal. On the basis of the outcome of your appraisals, over a five year cycle, your Responsible Officer (RO) will make a recommendation to the GMC as to whether you meet the criteria for revalidation.
Supporting information falls under four headings:
- General information – providing context about what you do in all aspects of your work
- Keeping up to date – maintaining and enhancing the quality of your professional work
- Review of your practice – evaluating the quality of your professional work
- Feedback on your practice – how others perceive the quality of your professional work
The FOM’s Responsible Officer (RO)
As a designated body, the Faculty of Occupational Medicine has an appointed Responsible Officer (RO). Their role is to make a recommendation to the GMC once every five years. This decision is based on reviewing the documentation which has been uploaded into the FOM’s e-Portfolio, PReP. The final decision about whether a doctor maintains their licence is made by the GMC and the role, duties and responsibilities of the RO have been established in both Parliamentary legislation and by the GMC as the regulator. Click here to view an amendment to the parliamentary legislation.
The majority of doctors will relate to the RO in the organisation where they are employed, such as within the NHS or Armed Forces. However some doctors, and this includes many occupational physicians who may work with a number of different clients or in single handed practice, will not be able to access an RO within their organisation.
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine is a designated body and therefore provides the RO function to those of its members who do not have another prescribed connection. There is also provision in the regulations for the Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s Responsible Officer to provide the function to more than one designated body, which may better suit some smaller organisations.
Other designated bodies and Responsible Officers
Your designated body is the organisation that will provide you with a regular appraisal and support you with revalidation. You will need to ensure that the GMC knows who your designated body is. To find your connection for revalidation you can use the GMC’s helpful ‘find your connection for revalidation’ tool.
Your responsible officer will make a revalidation recommendation about you on behalf of your designated body.
