Revalidation Guide for GPs
Revalidation is an integral part of a General Practitioner’s (GP) professional journey in the United Kingdom, ensuring that they uphold the highest standards of competence, professionalism, and patient care. Conducted every five years, the revalidation process evaluates a GP’s competence, performance, and ongoing professional development. Navigating this process successfully requires a proactive and strategic approach. In this Revalidation Guide for GPs, we will provide our top tips for UK GPs when it comes to revalidation.
Revalidation Guide for GPs
1. Start Early
Initiating the revalidation process well in advance is paramount. Begin by familiarising yourself with the revalidation guidelines and requirements. Early preparation allows ample time to gather evidence, address any gaps in your Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and ensures a stress-free experience as your revalidation date approaches. GPs are required to complete a minimum of 250 hours of CPD over one 5 year revalidation cycle, which averages out to about 50 hours of CPD per year.
2. Build a Robust CPD Portfolio
Central to revalidation is the CPD portfolio. Maintain a comprehensive portfolio that includes evidence of your learning activities, reflective practice, and feedback from colleagues and patients. Document your learning activities, including courses, workshops, and conferences. Ensure a diverse range of learning experiences, covering clinical knowledge, ethical considerations, and communication skills. A well-rounded portfolio demonstrates your commitment to ongoing professional growth. Not only do we run live and virtual CPD events throughout the year, but we also have a vast library of CPD-accredited learning modules and on-demand webinars. Attending our CPD events can earn you up to 15 participatory CPD points per event. Complete our learning modules and watch on-demand webinars to earn the remaining CPD points. Some of the CPD content on our platform is available for free, but you can get unlimited access to all content if you Go Premium (which is only £99+VAT per year).
3. Reflect Regularly
Embrace reflective practice as a habit rather than a task. Regularly reflect on clinical experiences, patient interactions, and challenging cases. Documenting these reflections not only satisfies revalidation requirements but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement in your practice.
Reflection Examples:
- Reflect on your CPD learning.
- Reflect on what you learnt at a conference or event.
- Reflect on clinical practice.
- Have a reflective discussion with a colleague – The colleague will need to be GMC registered, so you can either speak to another GP at work, or come along to one of our many Pulse 365 Events, network and converse. Don’t forget they will need to sign the form on the GMC site and provide their details, so swap emails and stay in touch!
4. Seek Feedback
Actively seek feedback from colleagues, staff, and patients. Utilize a 360-degree feedback approach to gain insights from different perspectives. Constructive feedback serves as a powerful tool for identifying areas of strength and areas that require attention. Addressing feedback demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and the enhancement of your professional performance. Aim to provide at least 5 pieces of written feedback (related to the GMC code). These can cover either an aspect of your CPD (i.e. what did you learn?), a piece of feedback from a colleague (practice related) or an event/experience from practice.
5. Engage in Peer Review
Participation in peer review activities is highly beneficial. Collaborate with peers for case discussions, clinical audits, or joint learning initiatives. Peer review not only broadens your clinical knowledge but also showcases your dedication to collaborative and quality patient care.
6. Stay Informed
Keep abreast of updates to clinical guidelines, policies, and best practices. Attend relevant training sessions and workshops to ensure your knowledge aligns with the latest standards in healthcare. Demonstrating awareness and adherence to guidelines reinforces your commitment to providing evidence-based, high-quality care. We are guided by new developments and best practice in healthcare when it comes to commissioning new learning modules and selecting expert speakers for our events, so if you sign up to Pulse 365, we will do a lot of the hard work for you.
7. Be Organised
Organise your revalidation documents and evidence systematically. Create a clear structure for your portfolio and ensure that everything is easily accessible. Being organised will save you time and stress when it’s time to submit your revalidation application. If you sign up to Pulse 365, you will get a personal dashboard that automatically tracks the CPD points you accumulate from our CPD content and events. You can also log CPD points you gather from external sources. So when it’s time for your revalidation, your CPD achievements can easily be exported at the click of a button.
8. Use GMC Resources
The GMC offers a range of tools, guidelines, and information designed to assist healthcare professionals in meeting the requirements for revalidation. Familiarise yourself with these resources and use them to your advantage.
9. Build a Support Network
Establish a robust support network of colleagues, mentors, and peers. Regular discussions, sharing experiences, and seeking advice from those who have navigated revalidation can be invaluable. A support network provides guidance, encouragement, and a platform for collaborative learning.
Revalidation Guide for GPs – Our Final DO’s and DON’T’s
- DO use the GMC’s resources and templates.
- Revalidating can be stressful, so DON’T leave it to the last minute.
- DO use Pulse 365 to help you complete and track your CPD and register for events.
- Most importantly, remember that you can DO this!
Successfully navigating the revalidation process for UK GPs requires a combination of early preparation, reflective practice, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. By building a robust CPD portfolio, actively seeking feedback and engaging in peer review, GPs can not only meet revalidation requirements but also continuously enhance the quality of care they provide to their patients. Remember, revalidation is not just a regulatory obligation; it’s an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Stay dedicated to your profession, continue learning, and strive for excellence in your role.
We hope you found our Revalidation Guide for GPs useful. To stay up to date with our event dates and new CPD content and to start utilising our handy CPD dashboard, register for Pulse 365 for free now.