revalidation
MA K ING THE G R ADE W
Revalidation has been in place since the end of last year, and many doctors are yet to go through their first one. GEORGE CAREY looks at how implementation has gone so far and what GPs need to focus on
hat do phoning call centres, going to the dentist and contracting smallpox all have in common? For many GPs, it seems, they are all preferable to revalidation. It came into force in December 2012 with the fanfare normally expected of a rise in taxes. Beginning with responsible officers and other senior doctors, the Government’s aim is that the majority of licensed doctors will be revalidated by the end of March 2016. Reaction to this new form of appraisal has been such that the General Medical Council revealed in March that it was expecting a deficit of up to £2.3m in its finances due to revalidation discouraging more doctors from renewing their licence to practise. As a result, the regulator carried out research of doctors to provide a clearer picture of the likely level of non-renewal.
UNREST The results of that survey, published in July, showed that more than 60 clinicians had cited revalidation as the reason for allowing their licence
44 october 2013
to expire since January. The GMC’s figures show a 74% rise in GPs giving up their licence to practise in the UK, with 258 GPs voluntarily giving up their license from January to March this year, compared to 148 during that period last year. While the GMC claims that revalidation is not currently a significant reason given by doctors for relinquishing their licence, it does seem for many that it could be a tipping point. Dr John Canning, chair of the General Practitioners’ Committee’s Professional Fees and Regulation committee, is of the opinion that revalidation could be a factor in many clinicians’ decision to retire early. “GPs are facing budget constraints, more implications on pensions and heavier workload. If you happen to be in your revalidation year you might think ‘I’m going to take my pension now’,” he says. Dr Mohammed Jiva, medical secretary of Rochdale and Bury LMC
,is another senior GP who worries that many doctors will be put off by the box ticking, hoop jumping nature of the process, which could result in a worrying dearth of experienced doctors in general practice.
management
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