Revalidation: a professional imperative.

Revalidation: a professional imperative GPs could be forgiven for expressing some scepticism about the introduction of revalidation. Substantive proposals for the reform of medical regulation were put forward by the General Medical Council (GMC) in 1997 1 and criteria against which GPs performance could be judged were first published by the RCGP in 2002. 2 It is 3 years since the Chief Medical Officer described a comprehensive framework to support revalidation 3 and more than 2 years since the Secretary of State for Health presented detailed recommendations to parliament. 4 Clinicians have seen proposed launch dates come and go and still there is no certainty about when the process will start. The recent publication of the RCGP Guide to the Revalidation of General Practitioners 5 represents an opportunity to re-engage with a process that heralds a significant change in the compact between the medical profession and society. 6 Being a doctor used to be uncomplicated. You worked hard as a student, joined the medical register when you qualified, and there your name was likely to stay for the rest of your career. The profession determined what it did, within resource constraints controlled by the state, and both the public and government trusted doctors to do their best. 7 The world has changed. The traditional model of professional self-regulation is deemed to have failed in the past and to be inadequate for the future. 3 Society wants doctors to be more accountable for what they do and wants greater influence in how they do it. Revalidation is the mechanism by which the profession can respond to these challenges. The medical profession appears to understand the need for change and there is widespread support among doctors for regular assessment of their competence. 3 Perhaps few are convinced that revalidation is the most efficient way of weeding out the villains of the profession, but most seem willing to see it as a focus for continuing professional development. The RCGP Guide to the Revalidation of General Practitioners embodies sound educational principles. 5 It describes how revalidation will be based on explicit standards, focused strongly on the needs of patients and on what happens in day-today practice. The emphasis will be on reflection and self-assessment and the peer review component of self-regulation will remain important. It clarifies that revalidation must be a continuous 5-year process and not a periodic 5-yearly process. Many of the elements …