Frequently asked questions

Revalidation is the process by which licensed doctors demonstrate to the GMC that they remain up to date and fit to practise.

Doctors with a UK licence to practise normally revalidate every five years.

A Responsible Officer is a senior doctor appointed by a Designated Body to oversee the appraisal and revalidation of its connected doctors and make revalidation recommendations to the GMC.

An external Responsible Officer provides independent expertise and regulatory compliance without the cost and administrative burden of recruiting and supporting the role in-house.

A Designated Body is an organisation responsible for supporting the appraisal and revalidation of the doctors connected to it. Every licensed doctor with a prescribed connection belongs to one Designated Body.

The doctor must engage directly with the GMC's alternative revalidation process, providing evidence of appraisal and fitness to practise, and undertaking the revalidation assessment.

Annual appraisals are conducted by trained medical appraisers appointed by the Responsible Officer. Doctors are allocated an appraiser rather than selecting their own.

The annual appraisal provides the evidence that informs the Responsible Officer's recommendation to the GMC on whether a doctor should be revalidated.