Find out how Pulse's clinical and business seminars can help you earn CPD credits towards your annual appraisal and in preparation for revalidation
As part of the preparations for revalidation, the RCGP has advised that all GPs should already be collecting evidence of all their CPD activity.
The CPD credits system is part of the strengthened annual appraisal process that will underpin revalidation. Many PCTs are already asking GPs to produce evidence at their appraisal to show they have collected at least 50 CPD credits during the preceding year.
Following the new Government's decision to extend the revalidation pilots for a further year, the new timetable should see the national roll-out of revalidation begin in April 2012. GPs will be expected to provide evidence of 250 CPD credits gained throughout the five-year revalidation period, with at least 50 credits verified at least annual appraisal. These will be an important part of a GP's revalidation portfolio, on which PCT responsible officers will recommend GPs for revalidation and the licence to continue practising.
As a general rule, you can claim one CPD credit per hour of learning. So, for example, Pulse's one-day business seminar typically offers around 5 hours and 40 minutes of education so you could gain up to 5.5 CPD credits for your appraisal folder. A half-day Pulse seminar would typically get you 2.5 or 3 CPD credits.
As well as the straight-forward credits for hours of learning, hours of educational and development work resulting from the seminar can count towards bonus ‘impact' learning credits.
If you can then demonstrate improvement in care as a result, the learning credits associated with that outcome can be counted double. Activities you may wish to undertake following the seminar may include presentations to colleagues, the implementation of new systems, protocols and services or carrying out a practice-based audit.
Pulse seminars are specifically focused on the sort of practice, needs-based learning that the new credit system is weighted towards.
At the end of each day, the chair will help you generate ideas on how you can implement what you have learnt to gain extra CPD credits.
After each Pulse semina, you will receive a certificate confirming your attendance and the number of CPD credits received. You will also receive a form to record your own learning points and their relevance to your work.
These documents can then be directly inserted into your appraisal folder to support the number of CPD credits you have claimed.
