There are plenty of mixed messages around about whether F3 doctors need an annual appraisal. It can be difficult to find out what’s required as there isn’t much guidance on the subject - which can lead to confusion.
The General Medical Council (GMC) say that a doctor needs an appraisal every year because they form the basis for your Revalidation, which occurs every 5 years. Every licenced doctor who practices medicine MUST revalidate. Why? Because it helps support your clinical development, ensures all information is up to date, and proves you are still fit to practice as a doctor.
So, if an appraisal is needed every year, why have some of my fellow doctors told me I don’t need one?
Although it’s good to expect to have an appraisal every year, some doctors do in fact miss one dependent on certain circumstances. For example: if you locum for year as an F3 and then go straight into specialty training, you could be seen by an appraiser at that point.
At Holt Doctors, like the GMC, we would always ask our F3 doctors who are locuming during the year to have an appraisal, as it part of our requirement for doctors to locum with us.
Our Revalidation team will help you through the process from start to finish. At Holt we have more than 20 approved appraisers based across the UK. They are a mix consultant grade doctors who are currently work in the NHS and work as appraisers in their spare time meaning they are familiar with the challenges of working as a locum doctor.
Holt's Responsible Officer, Dr. Jonathan Brooks, presented an appraisal guidance webinar with a Q&A section for attendees, you can re-watch this livestream below:
97% of doctor’s rates Holt’s appraisals as Good and Very Good
Very easy process. Helped me to evaluate this year's progress and set clear achievable goals for next year.
Framed as a positive experience and so have enjoyed these much more than a similar process in the NHS
I would highly recommend my appraiser to other colleagues.
