The pause in appraisal and revalidation due to coronavirus did not result in any detriment to patient safety or standards of care, the BMA’s annual representative meeting has said.
The doctors’ union should now demand an independent audit into the processes for revalidation and appraisals, the ARM ruled, ‘to examine any alleged benefits and detrimental effects’.
The BMA should also demand ‘a reduction in the GMC regulation imposed by annual appraisal and five yearly revalidation to encourage experienced clinicians to retire later’, according to a motion that was passed in full.
Proposing the motion, retired Manchester GP Dr John Hughes argued that ending revalidation would ‘improve patient care’ by freeing up GP time.
He said: ‘It is certainly creating harms by driving early retirement. It discriminates against those in less than full-time jobs, and in atypical jobs, because they have difficulty fulfilling the requirements…
‘In summary, it needs a proper audit, and we need the pause to continue.’
Motion in full
Motion by THE AGENDA COMMITTEE (TO BE PROPOSED BY NORTH WEST REGIONAL COUNCIL): That this meeting:
i) believes the pause in appraisal and revalidation has not resulted in any detriment to patient safety or standards of care; PASSED
ii) calls on the GMC to publish guidance stating that revalidation and appraisal to be meaningful and robust would require a minimum of 1.5 sessions in a job plan; PASSED AS A REFERENCE
iii) demands a reduction in the GMC regulation imposed by annual appraisal and five yearly revalidation to encourage experienced clinicians to retire later. PASSED
iv) demands a proper independent audit of the processes of appraisal and revalidation to examine any alleged benefits and detrimental effects. PASSED
