Medical Revalidation

This is the process by which the GMC confirms that a doctor is fit to practice and can renew their licence. It’s crucial in maintaining public confidence in the NHS and it occurs every 5 years. The key aspect of this process is to reflect. Reflecting on the positives of their career helps motivate doctors and decrease burnout. Reflecting on the negative events enables a doctor to learn from their mistakes or the systematic failings of the NHS, ensuring they won’t recur.

All NHS staff have an “Annual Appraisal” in which a doctor and appraiser (a trained doctor or colleague) discuss:

• Inputs to the appraisal: a reflection over the last year’s challenges and issues and whether they achieved their personal development plan.

• A confidential appraisal discussion.

• Outputs to the appraisal: producing a new personal development plan for the year ahead.

After 5 years, a ‘responsible officer’ (a senior doctor who is assigned to that individual) will make a recommendation to the GMC about the doctor’s fitness to practice. This is based on the appraisals and, if successful, the doctors licence is renewed.

Since April 2016, nurses also have to revalidate to maintain a licence with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This occurs ever 3 years.