General Note
NHS Fife acknowledges and agrees with the importance of regular and timely review of policy/procedure statements and aims to review policies within the timescales set out.
New policies/procedures will be subject to a review date of no more than 1 year from the date of first issue.
Reviewed policies/procedures will have a review date set that is relevant to the content (advised by the author) but will be no longer than 3 years.
If a policy/procedure is past its review date then the content will remain extant until such time as the policy/procedure review is complete and the new version published, or there are national policy or legislative changes.
1. FUNCTION
The aim of this policy is to deliver a transparent, fair and enhanced appraisal process which will provide the basis for revalidation for all non-training grade medical staff within NHS Fife.
Appraisal and Revalidation should:
- Confirm that licensed Doctors practice in accordance with the General Medical Council’s Generic Standards.
- For Doctors on the Specialist Register and General Practitioners Register, confirm that they meet the standards appropriate for their specialty.
- Identify poor practice which may require further investigation and follow up in line with the Board’s policies.
- Provide a focus for Doctors’ efforts to maintain and improve their practice, resulting in a Personal Development Plan (PDP) which prioritises the Doctor’s development needs for the coming year.
All non-training grade medical staff require to revalidate every five years.
2. LOCATION
This policy applies to all non-training grade medical staff within NHS Fife.
3. MAIN PRINCIPLES OF APPRAISAL
3.1 Appraisal is a supportive mechanism focusing on enhancing local systems of quality improvement. It will allow recognition of good performance, provide feedback and assist in the identification of issues related to compliance with “Good Medical Practice”, so that these can be dealt with at an early stage, (separate to the Appraisal process).
3.2 The Appraiser will review various sources of information supplied by the Appraisee, with the Doctor to gain a rounded impression of that Doctor’s practice and inform a mutually agreed personal development plan.
3.3 The provision of supporting information should serve as evidence of achievement of generic and specialist standards. Where this cannot be achieved, it will assist those Doctors in identifying support and development needs at an early stage.
3.4 Every Doctor is responsible for participating in an Annual Appraisal on their whole practice, so arrangements need to be made to share information from each of their employers, including private practice, on an annual basis.
3.5 Appraisals should take place on an annual basis within each appraisal year. An appraisal is not considered to have been completed without timely sign off of a Form 4, (within 28 days of the appraisal meeting).
3.6 Revalidation will require a cumulative review of appraisal over a 5 year period.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1 The responsibility for Medical Appraisal and Revalidation rests with the Responsible Officer for NHS Fife, who is the Medical Director, NHS Fife, supported by Lead Appraisers for Primary and Secondary Care.
4.2 The responsibility for development, implementation and operation of the system of Appraisal and Revalidation is discharged through the Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Group, which is chaired by the Medical Director, NHS Fife.
4.3 Corporate and Clinical Directorates, Services or Divisions in the Health & Social Care Partnership, as appropriate, will be responsible for ensuring that the annual Appraisal process is coordinated and concluded for their Medical staff.
4.4 Medical staff will be responsible for participating in the annual Appraisal process; working with NHS Fife to help gather relevant data and completing all of the necessary documentation in order to reach agreement on their appraisal.
5. OPERATIONAL SYSTEM
5.1 Medical Appraisal
5.1.1 Medical Appraisal differs fundamentally from appraisal in other settings due to its link with external profession regulation and revalidation.
5.1.2 Medical Appraisals are based on the areas listed below and a Doctor’s functioning and compliance with the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice:
Areas covered by Appraisal:
- Improvement activity
- Continued Professional Development (CPD)
- Feedback from patients
- Feedback from colleagues
- Complaints, clinical incidents and significant events
- Probity
- Health
5.2 The procedure below gives full details of the Appraisal process for trained medical staff.
ANNUAL APPRAISAL CYCLE FOR APPRAISEE WITHIN SECONDARY CARE
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Preparation |
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Appraisal / personal development planning |
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Recording / personal development |
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6. RISK MANAGEMENT
6.1 Risks will include non-compliance and sub-standard quality of appraisals which could result in the Responsible Officer recommending an individual’s “license to practice” be continued or reviewed inappropriately.
6.2 These risks will be mitigated by a process of on-going monitoring / review by the respective Clinical Directors, Clinical Leads, Appraisal Adviser, Associate Medical Directors / Medical Director or Director of Public Health.
7. RELATED DOCUMENTS
7.1 NHS Fife Medical Appraisal and Revalidation Procedure.
8. REFERENCES
8.1 Consultant Grade Terms and Conditions of Service - 1 April 2007
8.2 Scottish Association of Medical Directors Guidance on Job Planning – September 2006
8.3 Guide to Consultant Appraisal www.scotland.gove.uk/library3/health/cabg-00.asp
8.4 NHS Circular PCS(DD)2001/2 and PCS(DD)2001/7 – Annual Appraisal for Consultants
8.5 Job Planning Handbook http://www.paymodernisation.scot.nhs.uk
8.6 CEL(2014)3 Medical Revalidation: Annual Appraisal Documentation
8.7 NHS Scotland “A Guide to Appraisal for Revalidation July 2012”
