RCGP Releases 3rd Version of the Revalidation Guide for
GPs
18th January
2010
The College’s Guide to the Revalidation of
General Practitioners is regularly updated to reflect
developments in the systems and processes the College is developing
for the revalidation of general practitioners and the third edition
is now available.
The key changes between the second and third
editions include:
- Adoption of the use of the phrase “supporting information” in
place of “evidence”, in keeping with other relevant
organisations
- Adjustment of the timelines to reflect the fact that the Early
Adopters programme (in which the first doctors will revalidate)
will now start in the year 2011/12
- The possibility of GPs submitting a quality improvement project
in the place of a second clinical audit
- Reference to the revalidation of GPs in training
- Simplification of the Learning Credits (Supporting information
area 6)
- A refinement of the definition of activities included in
extended practice (Supporting information area 13)
- Emphasis of the discretion that will be required by Responsible
Officers for assessing supporting information for
revalidation.
To accompany the third Revalidation Guide, the
College has also released Version 2 of the RCGP Guide to the
Credit-Based System for CPD which has been refined (guidance
on how many credits should be claimed for different learning
activities has been simplified).
While the RCGP has the responsibility on
behalf of all GPs to propose the standards and methods for the
revalidation of GPs, the General Medical Council (GMC) must approve
the standards and methods before they are introduced.
RCGP Chairman, Professor Steve Field, said:
”As I’ve said many times, revalidation is about professional
development. We have to make sure that revalidation is not onerous
for busy GPs and that is uses existing systems.
“We are using all the feedback and input
received from GPs around the country to help us develop a programme
for the revalidation of GPs that meets their specific needs. We are
actively listening to what GPs are telling us in their emails and
when we meet with them. We have simplified our proposal relating to
learning credits for this reason.
“I encourage GPs to keep up to date with the
College’s proposals on revalidation by reading through this Guide
and to provide feedback, which is invaluable."
Both updated Guides are now available on the
RCGP website:
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/_revalidation.aspx
www.rcgp.org.uk/cpdcredits
FURTHER INFORMATION
RCGP Press office – 020 7344 3136
Out of hours: 07885 958 632
press@rcgp.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Royal College of General Practitioners is
a network of over 37,000 family doctors working to improve care for
patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards
of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on
education, training, research and clinical standards.